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Eclipse SDL-TTF

Eclipse SDL-TTF is an Eclipse Foundation project that provides a framework and tooling for specification-driven development of test cases and test data using the Test Description Language (TDL) and related SDL-based technologies (test automation / model-based testing).

  • Model-based specification of tests and test data using Tactical Data Link (TDL) and Data Schema Definition Language (SDL) (test design automation).
  • Support for SDL and related formal description techniques for communication and real-time systems (protocol and system modeling).
  • Tooling for creating, editing, and managing test specifications and associated models (test lifecycle management).
  • Integration with Eclipse-based development environments and workflows (IDE integration).
  • Support for automated generation of executable tests from formal specifications (test automation).

More About Eclipse SDL-TTF

Eclipse SDL-TTF is a project under the Eclipse Foundation that focuses on specification-driven test development using the Test Description Language (TDL) and the Specification and Description Language (SDL) (test automation / model-based testing). The project targets engineers working on communication systems, real-time systems, and protocol-based applications who require formal and reusable definitions of test behavior and test data. By centering on standardized description languages, Eclipse SDL-TTF enables a structured approach to designing tests before implementation.

The core purpose of Eclipse SDL-TTF is to support the creation and management of test specifications that are independent of concrete test execution platforms (test design). Using TDL and SDL (formal specification), teams describe interactions, message flows, timing constraints, and expected behaviors at a model level. These formal models can then be processed to derive executable tests, which helps align test coverage with system requirements and protocol specifications. The project addresses the problem space where informal or ad hoc test definitions create ambiguity and limit reusability across tools and platforms.

Key capabilities include model-based authoring of test cases and test data, representation of test behavior through standardized notations, and support for structured test suites (test modeling). Eclipse SDL-TTF provides tooling integrated with Eclipse-based environments (IDE integration), so practitioners can define, browse, and maintain TDL and SDL artifacts within the same workspace as their system models or protocol specifications. This supports traceability between system designs and derived test assets, which is relevant for domains with formal verification or conformance testing requirements.

In enterprise and institutional settings, Eclipse SDL-TTF is used where systems must comply with well-defined protocol or interface specifications (conformance testing). Typical usage involves defining test purposes, test configurations, and message exchanges at the TDL level, often linked to SDL models that describe the underlying system behavior. The generated or derived tests can then be mapped to test execution frameworks or platforms, allowing enterprises to reuse the same specification assets across different target environments.

Architecturally, Eclipse SDL-TTF aligns with model-driven engineering practices (model-driven development). It relies on standardized languages such as TDL and SDL that originate from formal description technique ecosystems, making it suitable for integration with other modeling tools and workflows that operate on these standards. The project fits in a directory taxonomy under test automation, model-based testing, and formal methods tooling, providing organizations with a specification-centric layer for test design and lifecycle management.