Methods and apparatus for analyzing software interface usage

• US 20080134156A1
• Filed: 12/02/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Osminer, Matt, Gazdzinski, Robert F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44589 Program code verification, e.g. Java bytecode verification, proof-carrying code high-level semantic checks G06F8/43; testing and debugging software G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for analyzing the interface usage and requirements within software applications. In one embodiment, the interfaces comprise application programming interfaces (APIs) used with Java-based software, and the apparatus comprises a computer program that analyzes file paths (or classpaths) containing one or more files comprising Java bytecode. The names of the classes are extracted and placed into a class dictionary. The different classes listed in the dictionaries are broken down into their individual methods. Each method is then dissembled and analyzed for method or field invocations on other classes found in the dictionary. Methods called are added to a “used class” report. The used class report preferably contains the name of the class, method and the instruction information.

Claims

1. A method of programmatically analyzing Java byte code in order to identify one or more called application programming interfaces (APIs), the method comprising:

providing a first file path containing first Java byte code;

providing a second file path containing second Java byte code;

parsing files found on said first file path to create at least one first parsed class file;

placing a name of at least one class defined in the first parsed class file into a dictionary;

parsing files found on said second file path to create at least one parsed second class file;

evaluating each class on said second file path to identify one or more methods associated therewith; and

evaluating each of said one or more methods to identify at least one method or field invocation associated with any classes in said dictionary.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the name of each of said evaluated classes comprising at least one method having said at least one method or field invocation to a report.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said act of adding further comprises adding specific method and instruction information to said report.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said act of adding further comprises adding debugging information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one class of said first file path in said dictionary that has the at least one invoked method or field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first or second Java byte code comprises an application adapted to run on an Open Cable (OCAP) compliant consumer premises device (CPE).

7. A method of analyzing class-based computer code, comprising:

receiving a first input containing first code;

receiving a second input containing second code;

extracting a first set of classes from said first input;

extracting a second set of classes from said second input;

analyzing each class in said first set of classes to generate a dictionary;

analyzing each class in said second set of classes to generate a set of methods; and

analyzing each method from said set of methods to identify invocations of classes present in said dictionary.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising adding said invoked classes to a report.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said report lists all application classes within said first set of classes, all application classes in said second set of classes, and all classes and methods in said second set of classes that identify one or more of said first set of classes.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said report further comprises:

a first section listing library calls in said first set of classes and said second set of classes; and

a second section listing at least the location of calls to a given API.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said report further comprises a listing of all the classes identified during said extracting of said first input and said second input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said report further comprises a separate page for each of (i) classes, (ii) interface, (iii) nested classes;

and (iv) nested interfaces.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said act of adding comprises rendering at least a portion of said report in a markup language format.

14. A computer-readable storage device comprising a medium adapted to store a computer program, said program being adapted to analyze class-based computer code using the method comprising:

extracting a first set of classes from a first input, said first input comprising first code;

extracting a second set of classes from a second input, said second input comprising second code;

analyzing each class in said first set of classes to generate a listing;

analyzing each class in said second set of classes to generate a set of methods; and

analyzing each method from said set of methods to identify invocations of classes present in said listing.

15. A method of evaluating the compliance of a first computer program to a target standard, said target standard specifying use of a plurality of application programming interfaces (APIs), the method comprising:

processing, using a second computer program, a third computer program in order to determine the API usage of said third program, said third program being known to comply with said standard; and

evaluating at least a portion of said first computer program against said determined API usage to determine if said first computer program supports all of the APIs used by said third program.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first computer program comprises an application developed to run on a cable set-top box, and said standard comprises the Open Cable (OCAP) standard.

17. A method of analyzing first software for application programming interface (API) usage via second software, said first software being rendered in an object-oriented programming language, said first software comprising at least one file path and referencing a library, the method comprising:

generating using at least said second software a data structure comprising a listing of all APIs that can be called by said first software;

recursively examining, using at least said second software, all classes on the file path to identify library calls made by said first software; and

generating, using at least said second software, a call report including at least said identified library calls.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of recursively examining comprises disassembling all class methods that reference calls within said listing.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said act of generating a data structure comprising a listing comprises generating a listing of all public methods on all public classes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said language comprises Java, and said first software comprises an application adapted to run on an Open Cable (OCAP) compliant device.

21. A method of evaluating application programming interface (API) usage within an application program based on a library, the method comprising:

identifying first and second sets of files to be processed;

generating a first dictionary of all public classes and interfaces in the library; and

performing a comparison process on said first and second sets of files to generate a second dictionary, said second dictionary comprising a plurality of entries indicating APIs called by said application program.

22. A method of computer program evaluation, said program having a plurality of classes and methods associated therewith, said method of evaluation comprising:

disassembling at least one of said associated methods into a plurality of instructions;

analyzing at least a portion of said instructions to identify one or more operation codes (op codes);

analyzing at least one of said one or more identified op codes to determine an owning class for a target method or field associated therewith;

evaluating said owning class against a dictionary of classes; and

if said owning class is in the dictionary, including said at least one associated method in an output data structure.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising including a listing of all called application programming interfaces (APIs) in said output data structure.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said one or more op codes comprise at least one of a Java invokeX op code and a Java getX op code.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising analyzing each of said one or more identified op codes to determine an object reference, said object reference being used to at least in part determine said owning class.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said instructions comprise Java Virtual Machine (JVM) instructions.

27. A method of specifying the minimum application programming interface (API) support requirements for a first computer program, the method comprising:

processing, using a second computer program, a third computer program in order to determine the API usage of said third program; and

generating output indicative of said API usage, said output being useful for specifying said minimum API support requirements for said first program.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said method is used to specify the minimum API support requirements for compliance with an industry standard.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said industry standard comprises the Open Cable Platform (OCAP) standard.

30. A method of developing a first computer program for use on a target platform, the method comprising:

specifying application programming interface (API) support requirements for said computer program, said specifying comprising;

processing, using a second computer program, a third computer program in order to determine the API usage of said third program;

generating output indicative of said API usage within said third program; and

developing said first program based at least in part on said output, said first program at least meeting said support requirements.

31. A method of processing object-oriented computer software, comprising:

providing a plurality of class paths; and

generating code to implement one or more calls that are present in a first of said plurality of class paths, but not in a second of said plurality of class paths, said generated code being adapted to duplicate at least one interface associated with said one or more calls.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising matching said at least one duplicated interface with a class or method that has the same or similar interface.

33. For use in a content based network, a software architecture adapted to determine the application programming interface (API) requirements for applications used in said network, the architecture comprising:

a first software component disposed on a first computer;

a second software component disposed on a second computer and in data communication with said first computer; and

wherein said second component is adapted to receive a computer program to be evaluated from said first component, and evaluate said computer program to determine at least API usage therein, and provide a report comprising said usage to said first component.

34. The architecture of claim 33, wherein said second component performs said evaluation based at least in part on a reference program having a known API usage.

35. The architecture of claim 33, wherein said second component performs said evaluation by at least identifying constituent methods associated with each class of said program, and disassembling each of said methods into a plurality of instructions to identify one or more API calls.

36. The architecture of claim 33, wherein said first component is utilized by a software developer, and said second component is disposed on a computer system operated by a cable network operator.

37. The architecture of claim 33, wherein said first component is utilized by a cable network operator, and said second component is disposed on a computer system operated by an industry standards or certification facility.

38. A method of doing business, comprising:

receiving a request for software interface support specifications associated with a network;

generating a report comprising said interface support specifications; and

providing said report to an entity issuing said request, said report being useful in developing at least one new application adapted to operate within said network.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said generating a report comprises evaluating an existing application for interface usage by evaluating methods associated with classes of said application, and generating said report to list interface calls made by said methods.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising receiving said at least one new application, and evaluating said new application for compliance with said interface support requirements.

41. A method of software processing, comprising:

providing a computer program application adapted for use on one or more network devices;

determining those network devices on which the application is to be used;

analyzing said application to identify API usage associated therewith; and

providing said application to selective ones of said determined network devices;

wherein said act of providing to selected ones is based at least in part on results obtained from said act of analyzing.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

identifying at least one discrepancy or incompatibility within said application related to said API usage; and

healing said at least one discrepancy or incompatibility.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said healing said at least one discrepancy or incompatibility is performed in a substantially automated fashion using at least a software tool.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein act of providing to selected ones comprises:

providing information for use in an association file which associates one or more of said network devices with particular applications.

45. A method of identifying and correcting incompatibilities or discrepancies within an application program, comprising:

analyzing said application for application interface usage;

identifying within said application one or more function calls against interfaces that are either prohibited or that do not exist; and

providing at least placeholder code for said interfaces.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said application program is rendered in the Java programming language, and adapted for use in a network device in communication with a cable television network.