DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF TESTING COMPUTER PROGRAMS

• US 20090138857A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zlotnick, Aviad, Botzer, David
• Application Number:
  US11/946,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138857A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/129
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3612 by runtime analysis performance monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3644 by instrumenting at runtime

Abstract

Device, system, and method of testing computer programs. For example, an apparatus for testing computer programs includes: a debugger to detect a breakpoint in a computer program, and to issue an event indicating one or more properties of the breakpoint; and an event processing engine to control the operation of the debugger based on event processing analysis that takes into account the event issued by the debugger.

Claims

1. An apparatus for testing computer programs, the apparatus comprising:

a debugger to detect a breakpoint in a computer program, and to issue an event indicating one or more properties of the breakpoint; and

an event processing engine to control the operation of the debugger based on event processing analysis that takes into account the event issued by the debugger.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event processing engine is to generate a command to the debugger based on said analysis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the debugger is to issue a plurality of events indicating one or more properties of a respective plurality of breakpoints, and wherein the event processing engine is to use Complex Event Processing logic to analyze said plurality of events.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the event processing engine is to operate according to a set of event processing rules indicating one or more conditions for generating event-based commands to control the debugger.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the event processing engine is to control the operation of the debugger by a command selected from the group consisting of:

a command instructing the debugger to pause program execution;

a command instructing the debugger to continue program execution;

a command instructing the debugger to modify program execution path;

a command instructing the debugger to modify a content of a memory area;

a command instructing the debugger to activate a breakpoint;

a command instructing the debugger to deactivate a breakpoint;

a command instructing the debugger to wait a pre-defined time period;

a command instructing the debugger to wait until receiving a command to continue;

a command instructing the debugger to generate an alert if a condition holds true;

a command instructing the debugger to generate a report if a condition holds true; and

a command instructing the debugger to break program execution if a condition holds true.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the event processing engine is to control the operation of the debugger by a command selected from the group consisting of:

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another event was issued by the debugger;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another event was not issued by the debugger;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another event was issued by another debugger; and

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another event was not issued by another debugger.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the event processing engine is to control the operation of the debugger by a command selected from the group consisting of:

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another breakpoint is reached within a defined time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another breakpoint is not reached within a defined time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular statement of the computer program was not reached within an elapsed time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular statement of the computer program was executed at least a particular number of times within an elapsed time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular module of the computer program did not successfully exit within an elapsed time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular module of the computer program was called by at least a particular number of other modules within an elapsed time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular statement of the computer program was not reached within an elapsed time period; and

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation based on the difference between;

the number of breakpoints that were reached from a first group of breakpoints, and the number of breakpoints that were reached from a second group of breakpoints.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

an event repository to store a plurality of events issued by the debugger and by at least one other debugger,

wherein the event processing engine is to control the operation of the debugger by a command that is based on an analysis of at least one event issued by the debugger and at least one event issued by the other debugger.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

an event repository to store one or more events issued by a first instance of the debugger and one or more events issued by a second, concurrent, instance of the debugger,

wherein the event processing engine is to control the operation of the debugger by a command that is based on an analysis of at least one event issued by the first instance of the debugger and at least one event issued by the second instance of the debugger.

10. A method for testing computer programs, the method comprising:

detecting a breakpoint during debugging of a computer program;

issuing an event indicating one or more properties of the breakpoint; and

controlling the operation of a debugger based on event processing analysis that takes into account the event issued by the debugger.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the operation of the debugger comprises:

generating a command to the debugger based on said analysis.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

issuing a plurality of events indicating one or more properties of a respective plurality of breakpoints; and

using Complex Event Processing logic to analyze said plurality of events.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the operation of the debugger comprises:

applying a set of event processing rules indicating one or more conditions for generating event-based commands to control the debugger.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the operation of the debugger comprises:

generating a command selected from the group consisting of;

a command instructing the debugger to pause program execution;

a command instructing the debugger to continue program execution;

a command instructing the debugger to modify program execution path;

a command instructing the debugger to modify a content of a memory area;

a command instructing the debugger to activate a breakpoint;

a command instructing the debugger to deactivate a breakpoint;

a command instructing the debugger to wait a pre-defined time period;

a command instructing the debugger to wait until receiving a command to continue;

a command instructing the debugger to generate an alert if a condition holds true;

a command instructing the debugger to generate a report if a condition holds true; and

a command instructing the debugger to break program execution if a condition holds true.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the operation of the debugger comprises:

generating a command selected from the group consisting of;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another event was issued by the debugger;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another event was not issued by the debugger;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another event was issued by another debugger; and

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another event was not issued by another debugger.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the operation of the debugger comprises:

generating a command selected from the group consisting of;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another breakpoint is reached within a defined time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if another breakpoint is not reached within a defined time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular statement of the computer program was not reached within an elapsed time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular statement of the computer program was executed at least a particular number of times within an elapsed time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular module of the computer program did not successfully exit within an elapsed time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular module of the computer program was called by at least a particular number of other modules within an elapsed time period;

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation if a particular statement of the computer program was not reached within an elapsed time period; and

a command instructing the debugger to perform an operation based on the difference between;

the number of breakpoints that were reached from a first group of breakpoints, and the number of breakpoints that were reached from a second group of breakpoints.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising:

storing a plurality of events issued by the debugger and by at least one other debugger; and

controlling the operation of the debugger by a command that is based on an analysis of at least one event issued by the debugger and at least one event issued by the other debugger.

18. The method of claim 10, comprising:

storing one or more events issued by a first instance of the debugger and one or more events issued by a second, concurrent, instance of the debugger; and

controlling the operation of the debugger by a command that is based on an analysis of at least one event issued by the first instance of the debugger and at least one event issued by the second instance of the debugger.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

detecting a breakpoint during debugging of a computer program;

issuing an event indicating one or more properties of the breakpoint; and

controlling the operation of a debugger based on event processing analysis that takes into account the event issued by the debugger.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein controlling the operation of the debugger comprises:

applying a set of event processing rules indicating one or more conditions for generating event-based commands to control the debugger.