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Concepts

Understanding the ideas behind combinatorial testing helps you get the most out of ProTest.

Core Concepts

• Covering Arrays — What they are, why they work, and how they reduce testing effort
• Constraints — The full constraint language for excluding invalid combinations
• Sub-Models — Group parameters for different coverage strengths
• Seeds — Force specific test cases into the results
• Negative Testing — Test invalid inputs without masking failures

Generation and Optimization

• Engines (PICT vs SIPO) — Two generation algorithms with different strengths
• NCK Optimization — Post-generation reduction of redundant test cases

Quality Assurance

• Validation — Real-time model checking: what the green checkmark means and how to fix errors
• Verification — Post-generation checks: coverage, constraints, seeds, and transitive analysis