Difference Between Object-Oriented Testing and Agent-Oriented Testing

Agent-oriented Testing is defined as the application of agents like software or intelligent or multi-agent systems, etc. to software testing problems by tackling and automating complex testing tasks. This testing is considered an extension of the object-oriented testing process. There is a growing need for agent-oriented systems to tackle complex problems. An agent can be defined as a software program that is used to perform some specified tasks for the user and which also possesses a degree of intelligence that can be used to perform parts of its tasks autonomously in a useful way.

Object-Oriented Testing is a software testing process that is conducted to test the software using object-oriented paradigms like, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, etc. The software typically undergoes many levels of testing, from unit testing to system or acceptance testing. Typically, in-unit testing, small “units”, or modules of the software, are tested separately with a focus on testing the code of that module. In higher-order testing (e.g. acceptance testing), the entire system (or a subsystem) is tested with a focus on testing the functionality or external behavior of the system. This testing method is a data-centric technique rather than algorithmic. 

Note: The agent-oriented testing is an extension of the object-oriented testing, the properties of objects and agents differently. The agent is termed as an intelligent object as it consists of a few unique properties like reactivity, social ability, learnability, etc but these intelligence factors of agents make this testing more difficult, and therefore, it is very complex to absorb the techniques of object-oriented testing for the agent-oriented testing.

Difference Between Object-Oriented Testing and Agent-Oriented Testing

	Object-Oriented Testing	Agent-oriented Testing
1.	In Object-Oriented Testing, its unit is an object.	In Agent-oriented testing, its unit is an agent.
2.	It is an extension of the structural programming paradigm.	It is an extension of object-oriented programming.
3.	It is defined by the methods and functions.	It is defined by their behavior.
4.	It is static because once the objects are created by a class, they cannot change their class.	It is dynamic because the created agent may change its behavior according to the situation to achieve its goal.
5.	It does its work as defined by the user.	It first understands the problem and then works according to it.
6.	It is less resistant to failure and cannot find any proper solution.	It is robust and thus can come out of failure.
7.	It has some unique properties like inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, etc.	It has some unique properties like pro-activity, reactivity, mobility, social ability, etc.
8.	This testing is easier as compared to agent-based testing.	This testing is complex as compared to object-oriented testing.
9.	It is not dependent on any tools for the testing process.	It is dependent on the tools or techniques of object-oriented testing.