AUTOMATIC INSPECTION OF COMPILED CODE

• US 20080168426A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Vasilevskiy, Alexander, Mitran, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites

Abstract

Automatic inspection of compiled code. In response to revising a compiler, the functionality of that compiler is verified. Specific code is compiled using a first version of the compiler, as well as a second version of the compiler. Each compiled code is then applied to machine state to obtain multiple machine states. The machine states are then compared to determine if they are equal.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code logic to verify compiled code of a processing environment, said computer readable program code logic when executing performing the following;

compiling code using one version of a compiler to provide one compiled code, wherein the code is written in a programming language in which a complete run-time environment for that programming language is unavailable for verifying the compiled code;

compiling the code using another version of the compiler to provide another compiled code;

applying the one compiled code to machine state to obtain one result and the another compiled code to the machine state to obtain another result; and

automatically comparing the one result and the another result to determine whether the another version of the compiler is accurate.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the comparing specifying a difference indicates an error with the another version of the compiler.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the applying the one compiled code comprises executing the one compiled code to manipulate the machine state to obtain the one result, the one result comprising an updated machine state.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein the applying the another compiled code comprises executing the another compiled code to manipulate the machine state to obtain the another result, the another result comprising an another updated machine state.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 4, wherein the applying comprises initializing the machine state prior to executing the one compiled code and the another compiled code.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the machine state comprises at least one of one or more values of one or more general purpose registers of the processing environment;

one or more values of one or more special purpose registers of the processing environment; and

one or more values in memory of the processing environment.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the processing environment comprises an emulated environment.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the emulated environment provides a compact representation of the machine state.

9. A method of verifying compiled code of a processing environment, said method comprising:

compiling code using one version of a compiler to provide one compiled code, wherein the code is written in a programming language in which a complete run-time environment for that programming language is unavailable for verifying the compiled code;

compiling the code using another version of the compiler to provide another compiled code;

applying the one compiled code to machine state to obtain one result and the another compiled code to the machine state to obtain another result; and

automatically comparing the one result and the another result to determine whether the another version of the compiler is accurate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the comparing specifying a difference indicates an error with the another version of the compiler.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the applying the one compiled code comprises executing the one compiled code to manipulate the machine state to obtain the one result, the one result comprising an updated machine state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the applying the another compiled code comprises executing the another compiled code to manipulate the machine state to obtain the another result, the another result comprising an another updated machine state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the applying comprises initializing the machine state prior to executing the one compiled code and the another compiled code.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the machine state comprises at least one of one or more values of one or more general purpose registers of the processing environment;

one or more values of one or more special purpose registers of the processing environment; and

one or more values in memory of the processing environment.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the processing environment comprises an emulated environment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the emulated environment provides a compact representation of the machine state.

17. A system of verifying compiled code of a processing environment, said system comprising:

one version of a compiler to compile code to provide one compiled code, wherein the code is written in a programming language in which a complete run-time environment for that programming language is unavailable for verifying the compiled code;

another version of the compiler to compile the code to provide another compiled code;

a processing unit to apply the one compiled code to machine state to obtain one result and to apply the another compiled code to the machine state to obtain another result; and

the processing unit to automatically compare the one result and the another result to determine whether the another version of the compiler is accurate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit to apply executes the one compiled code to manipulate the machine state to obtain the one result, the one result comprising an updated machine state, and executes the another compiled code to manipulate the machine state to obtain the another result, the another result comprising an another updated machine state.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing environment comprises an emulated environment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the emulated environment provides a compact representation of the machine state.