STORY · FORSKNING_
AI agents validate COBOL-to-Java migration with new testing method
Researchers present «Locksmith Loop», an agentic testing method that uses AI to validate conversion of COBOL programs to Java. The method combines two runtime environments with iterative agents to search through program branches and identify errors that traditional testing methods miss. In three case studies, the method achieved near-complete code coverage and 91.9 percent branch coverage on production-like COBOL code.
WHY IT MATTERS
This approach solves a classic problem in code modernization – validating complex migrations without complete test data. The result demonstrates how AI agents can be used as a deterministic validation oracle for their own code generation work.
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