An XML-based Approach for Software Analysis -- Applied to Detect Bad Smells in TTCN-3 Test Suites

This thesis presents an XML-based approach for software analysis. Patterns in software artefacts which should be found by the analysis are described using the declarative XML query language XQuery. Implementation and design of a software analysis framework are presented. The design of the framework allows patterns to be described in a generic, abstract, and reusable way. The framework is customised for the detection of places in source codes which should be refactored, so-called bad smells. As a case study, the framework is used to detect bad smells in test suites written in the testing language TTCN-3.