Methods and arrangements for unified program analysis

• US 20060248519A1
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zeng, Liangzhao, Koved, Lawrence, Zhang, Xiaolan, Jaeger, Trent R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/141
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source

Abstract

A unified program analysis framework that facilitates the analysis of complex multi-language software systems, analysis reuse, and analysis comparison, by employing techniques such as program translation and automatic results mapping, is presented. The feasibility and effectiveness of such a framework are demonstrated using a sample application of the framework. The comparison yields new insights into the effectiveness of the techniques employed in both analysis tools. These encouraging results yield the observation that such a unified program analysis framework will prove to be valuable both as a testbed for examining different language analysis techniques, and as a unified toolset for broad program analysis.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing multi-language programs, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting a program containing elements written in a plurality of languages;

inputting a rule set specifying allowable behaviors of a correct program; and

detecting in the input program any violation relating to the rule set.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the languages comprise non-decoratably-subsumable languages.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of ensuring that the input program avoids any violation relating to the rule set.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of mapping back to an original source code any violation relating to the rule set.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transforming the input program;

said transforming step comprising the step of preserving of data and control flow information relating to the input program in a predetermined amount and to a predetermined degree of precision.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

translating multiple languages to a common intermediate representation;

said detecting step comprising employing the common intermediate representation in detecting a violation relating to the rule set.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of mapping back to an original source code any violation relating to the rule set.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

translating multiple languages to a common intermediate representation; and

employing the common intermediate representation to verify that the said rules are not violated.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of mapping back to an original source code any violation relating to the rule set.

10. An apparatus for analyzing multi-language programs, said apparatus comprising:

an arrangement for inputting a program containing elements written in a plurality of languages;

an arrangement for inputting a rule set specifying allowable behaviors of a correct program; and

an arrangement for detecting in the input program any violation relating to the rule set.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the languages comprise non-decoratably-subsumable languages.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an arrangement for ensuring that the input program avoids any violation relating to the rule set.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an arrangement for mapping back to an original source code any violation relating to the rule set.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

an arrangement for transforming the input program;

said transforming arrangement comprising an arrangement for preserving data and control flow information relating to the input program in a predetermined amount and to a predetermined degree of precision.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

an arrangement for translating multiple languages to a common intermediate representation;

said detecting arrangement being adapted to employ the common intermediate representation in detecting a violation relating to the rule set.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an arrangement for mapping back to an original source code any violation relating to the rule set.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

an arrangement for translating multiple languages to a common intermediate representation; and

an arrangement for employing the common intermediate representation to verify that the said rules are not violated.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising an arrangement for mapping back to an original source code any violation relating to the rule set.

19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for analyzing multi-language programs, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting a program containing elements written in a plurality of languages;

inputting a rule set specifying allowable behaviors of a correct program; and

detecting in the input program any violation relating to the rule set.