TTCN is a

programming language A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs. Most programming languages are text-based formal languages, but they may also be graphical. They are a kind of computer language. The description of a programming ...

used for testing of

communication protocol A communication protocol is a system of rules that allows two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity. The protocol defines the rules, syntax, semantics and synchroniza ...

s and web services. A TTCN test suite consists of many

test case In software engineering, a test case is a specification of the inputs, execution conditions, testing procedure, and expected results that define a single test to be executed to achieve a particular software testing objective, such as to exercise ...

s written in the TTCN programming language. Until version 2 the language was written in tables and called ''Tree and Tabular Combined Notation''. Reading and editing this language required special TTCN editors. Beginning with version 3 TTCN was renamed to ''Testing and Test Control Notation''. It is now closer to current programming languages and can be edited with traditional editors.

TTCN-3 TTCN-3 ''(Testing and Test Control Notation version 3)'' is a strongly typed testing language used in conformance testing of communicating systems. TTCN-3 is written by ETSI in the ES 201 873 series, and standardized by ITU-T in the Z.160 Series. TT ...

is more flexible than TTCN-2 in that it can be used for protocol testing as well as testing traditional software. All versions of TTCN need dedicated compilers or interpreters for execution. TTCN is widely used, for example; ETSI, ITU for the testing of telecommunication protocols.

Conformance test Conformance testing — an element of conformity assessment, and also known as compliance testing, or type testing — is testing or other activities that determine whether a process, product, or service complies with the requirements of a specific ...

cases of ETSI standards like

ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a set of communication standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the digitalised circuits of the public switched telephone network. Work ...

DECT Digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (Digital European cordless telecommunications), usually known by the acronym DECT, is a standard primarily used for creating cordless telephone systems. It originated in Europe, where it is the common ...

GSM The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe the protocols for second-generation ( 2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile devices such ...

EDGE Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...

, 3G,

DSRC Dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) are one-way or two-way short-range to medium-range wireless communication channels specifically designed for automotive use and a corresponding set of protocols and standards. History In October 1999, ...

have also been written in TTCN. Recently it has also been used for testing various protocol standards e.g.

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

, IP. Execution of those

s against products (e.g. phones, mobile phones, service enablers or network elements) is used to verify that the protocol implementation in those products meet the requirements defined by telecommunication standards. TTCN is often combined with

ASN.1 Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1) is a standard interface description language for defining data structures that can be serialized and deserialized in a cross-platform way. It is broadly used in telecommunications and computer networking, and ...

Versions

*TTCN-1: Standardized in 1992 by

ISO ISO is the most common abbreviation for the International Organization for Standardization. ISO or Iso may also refer to: Business and finance * Iso (supermarket), a chain of Danish supermarkets incorporated into the SuperBest chain in 2007 * Iso ...

and CCITT as ISO/IEC 9646-3 and CCITT X.292 for Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) conformance testing methodology and framework. *TTCN-2: Standardized in 1998 by

and ITU, adding concurrency and multiple modules support to TTCN-1. *

: Written by ETSI and standardized in 2000 by ITU under reference Z.140. It aimed at being a more generic testing language than TTCN-2. In 2007 the recommendation moved from Z.140 to Z.160.

Background information

Conformance testing Conformance testing — an element of conformity assessment, and also known as compliance testing, or type testing — is testing or other activities that determine whether a process, product, or service complies with the requirements of a specifi ...

means a test execution against a well-defined

, e.g. a test written in TTCN. Plug-tests, also called

interoperability testing Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems. While the term was initially defined for information technology or systems engineering services to allow for information exchange, a broader defi ...

, are test cases executed with a client - server model; e.g. Mail-Client against Mail-server, phone against network, Bluetooth headset against Bluetooth phone. Plug-tests are e.g. often executed at so-called unplug-tests. Conformance-tests and plug-tests complement each other. If properly done, interoperability errors found with plug-tests should lead to definition of new conformance test cases that cover the failed test.

External links

ITU TTCN StudygroupETSI TTCN-3 web siteTTCN-3 Quick Reference Card
ITU-T recommendations