MuSe: a Mutation Testing Plugin for the Remix IDE

TL;DR

MuSe is a new mutation testing plugin integrated into Remix-IDE that enhances smart contract testing by providing Solidity-specific and security-oriented mutation operators, making mutation testing more accessible for developers and researchers.

Contribution

It introduces MuSe, the first mutation testing plugin for Remix-IDE, with specialized operators and seamless integration to improve smart contract testing effectiveness.

Findings

Enables immediate mutation testing in Remix-IDE without extra setup.

Includes Solidity-specific and security-oriented mutation operators.

Facilitates assessment of test suite effectiveness and smart contract security.

Abstract

Mutation testing is a technique to assess the effectiveness of test suites by introducing artificial faults into programs. Although mutation testing plugins are available for many platforms and languages, none is currently available for Remix-IDE, the most widely used Integrated Development Environment for the entire contract development journey, used by users of all knowledge levels, and serves as a learning lab for teaching and experimenting with Ethereum. The quality and security of smart contracts are crucial in blockchain systems, as even minor issues can result in substantial financial losses. This paper proposes MuSe, a mutation testing plugin for the Remix-IDE. MuSe includes traditional, Solidity-specific, and security-oriented mutation operators. Its integration into the Remix-IDE eliminates the need for additional setup and lowers the entry barrier. As a result, developers and researchers can immediately leverage mutation testing to assess the effectiveness of their test suites and identify potential issues in smart contracts. We provide a demo video showing MuSe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIFk9exTDu0 and its repository: https://github.com/GerardoIuliano/MuSe-Remix-Plugin.