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Definition: AST


(1) For security testing, see application security testing.

(2) (Abstract Syntax Tree) The original source code format of the WebAssembly language. See WebAssembly.

(3) (Association for Software Testing) A membership organization dedicated to software testing. Founded in 2004 by professor Cem Kamer, director of Florida's Center for Software Testing Education & Research (CSTER), AST provides conferences and education, as well as Black Box Software Testing (BBST) courses from Altom.

(4) (AST Computer, Irvine, CA) An earlier PC manufacturer founded in 1980 by Albert Wong, Safi Quershey and Tom Yuen (A, S and T). Known for its Rampage and SixPak Plus PC memory boards, AST also offered PCs through its dealer channel. In 1993, AST acquired Tandy Corporation's PC manufacturing facilities, but four years later, parent company AST Research was taken over by Samsung, which struggled to compete with Gateway, Dell and Compaq. In 1999, Packard Bell cofounder Beny Alagem purchased the AST name and IP rights, but within a year, the once-illustrious brand ceased production altogether.