METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REVERSE DEBUGGING SOURCE CODE USING CAUSAL ANALYSIS

• US 20140033178A1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Sasikumar, Anirudh
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3628 of optimised code optimisation G06F8/443
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3644 by instrumenting at runtime
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3656 using a specific debug interface

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reverse debugging source code using causal analysis is disclosed. The method comprises executing byte-code created from a plurality of lines of source code, wherein the plurality of lines of source code comprise at least one breakpoint; storing execution data after execution of each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code until execution reaches the at least one breakpoint; performing a code execution analysis using the execution data and the plurality of lines of source code; receiving an input via a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the input requests specific execution details based on the code execution analysis; and responding via the GUI to the input.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

executing byte-code created from a plurality of lines of source code, wherein the plurality of lines of source code comprise at least one breakpoint;

storing execution data after execution of each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code until execution reaches the at least one breakpoint;

performing a code execution analysis using the execution data and the plurality of lines of source code;

receiving an input via a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the input requests specific execution details based on the code execution analysis; and

responding via the GUI to the input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution data comprises a line number for each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that is executed, a value of at least one variable that was changed by the execution of a line of source code, and a plurality of stack information that changed due to the execution of the line of source code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the code execution analysis comprises integrating the execution data and the plurality of lines of source code to create a debug report comprising:

information regarding each line of source code that was executed;

the order in which the lines of source code were executed;

the lines of source code that affected the value of a variable; and

the value of each variable after each line of source code was executed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein responding comprises display on the GUI of at least one of reverse stepping through the source code, a generated history of a variable status change, and a generated history of an execution flow.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein display of reverse stepping comprises highlighting a displayed line of source code that was executed immediately prior to a current line of source code and updating a display of at least one variable with the value of the variable after the execution of the highlighted line of source code and repeating until a line of code where the source code was executed is reached.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein display of a generated history of a variable comprises displaying a list comprising each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that affected the variable and the value of the variable after execution of each of the lines of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that affected the variable.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein display of a generated history of an execution flow comprises displaying a list comprising each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that was executed beginning with the line of source code associated with the at least one breakpoint and ending with the line of source code associated with the execution of the code.

8. An apparatus for reverse debugging using causal analysis comprising:

a collection module for executing byte-code created from a plurality of lines of source code, wherein the plurality of lines of source code comprise at least one breakpoint and storing execution data after execution of each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code until execution reaches the at least one breakpoint; and

a debugger for performing a code execution analysis using the execution information and the plurality of lines of source code; and

responding via a graphical user interface (GUI) to at least one input made via the GUI, wherein the input requests specific execution details based on the code execution analysis, wherein responding comprises display on the GUI of at least one of reverse stepping through the source code, a generated history of a variable status change, and a generated history of an execution flow.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the execution data comprises a line number for each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that is executed before the breakpoint, a value of at least one variable that was changed by the execution of a line of source code, and a plurality of stack information that changed by the execution of the line of source code.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein performing the code execution analysis comprises integrating the execution data and the plurality of lines of source code to create a debug report comprising information regarding each line of source code that was executed, the order in which the lines of source code were executed, the lines of source code that affected the value of a variable, and the value of each variable after each line of source code was executed.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein display of reverse stepping comprises highlighting a displayed line of source code that was executed immediately prior to a current line of source code and updating a display of at least one variable with the value of the variable after the execution of the highlighted line of source code and repeating until a line of code where the source code was executed is reached.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein display of a generated history of a variable comprises displaying a list comprising each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that affected the variable and the value of the variable after execution of each of the lines of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that affected the variable.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein display of a generated history of an execution flow comprises displaying a list comprising each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that was executed beginning with the line of source code associated with the at least one breakpoint and ending with the line of source code associated with the execution of the code.

14. A non-transient computer readable medium for debugging using information pertaining to execution of source code that, when executed by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform a method for reverse debugging with causal analysis comprising:

executing byte-code created from a plurality of lines of source code, wherein the plurality of lines of source code comprise at least one breakpoint;

storing execution data after execution of each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code until execution reaches the at least one breakpoint;

performing a code execution analysis using the execution data and the plurality of lines of source code;

receiving an input via a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the input requests specific execution details based on the code execution analysis; and

responding via the GUI to the input.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the execution data comprises a line number for each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that is executed, a value of at least one variable that was changed by the execution of a line of source code, and a plurality of stack information that changed due to the execution of the line of source code.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein performing the code execution analysis comprises integrating the execution data and the plurality of lines of source code to create a debug report comprising:

information regarding each line of source code that was executed;

the order in which the lines of source code were executed;

the lines of source code that affected the value of a variable; and

the value of each variable after each line of source code was executed.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein responding comprises display on the GUI of at least one of reverse stepping through the source code, a generated history of a variable status change, and a generated history of an execution flow.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein display of reverse stepping comprises highlighting a displayed line of source code that was executed immediately prior to a current line of source code and updating a display of at least one variable with the value of the variable after the execution of the highlighted line of source code and repeating until a line of code where the source code was executed is reached.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein display of a generated history of a variable comprises displaying a list comprising each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that affected the variable and the value of the variable after execution of each of the lines of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that affected the variable.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein display of a generated history of an execution flow comprises displaying a list comprising each line of source code in the plurality of lines of source code that was executed beginning with the line of source code associated with the at least one breakpoint and ending with the line of source code associated with the execution of the code.