Dynamically generating expanded user messages in a computer system

• US 6,574,792 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Easton, John Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder, David A
• Application Number:
  US09/584,202
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 717/142, 717/143, 717/133, 717/157, 717/141
• US Class Current: 717/142
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

Dynamically generating expanded user messages, in a computer system having a logging tool for creating a log file. The log file comprises log messages produced in response to events occurring during execution of an application program. Firstly, the application program source code is pre-analysed to extract a plurality of program components, including comments. The different component types and comments associated with them are ordered into tabular form. An individual log message is read from the log file and its program components are determined. Comments associated with these program components are read from the relationship tables. The comments are used to supplement the original log message by combining them to produce expanded user messages in a user-friendly format. These expanded user messages may be further grammatically parsed into natural language, in order to provide the end user with more meaningful diagnostic information.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a processor, a memory, an operating system capable of executing application programs, and a logging tool for creating a log file comprising log messages in response to events occurring during execution of said application programs, a method for dynamically generating expanded user messages, comprising the steps of:

pre-analysing the application program source code to extract a plurality of types of program component including comments,

creating a plurality of relationship tables between said different component types,

reading an individual log message from said log file,

determining said program components in said log message,

reading comments associated with said program components from said plurality of relationship tables,

combining said comments to produce said expanded user messages.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said program components comprise functions, variables, conditions and comments.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the steps of parsing said comments to form natural language text and displaying said natural language text in a window or pop up menu.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said pre-analysis step includes textual parsing.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, in which said comments are written into program source code, header files and message catalogs and the formats of said comments are structured in a pre-determined manner.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said log messages are selected by a mouse driven pointer, positioned over said log messages.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said plurality of relationship tables, comprise a function—

variable table, a condition—

comment table, a function—

comment table and a variable—

comment table.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said individual log message can be compared for inter-relationships with further log messages, comprising the steps of:

reading a further log message from said log file,

extracting program component types from said further log message,

determining any inter-relationships between said two log messages,

recursively repeating inter-relationship determination between said individual log message and said further messages, until no further log messages can be selected from said log file,

reading comments associated with all said inter-related program components from said plurality of relationship tables and sorting said comments by order of execution,

combining said comments to produce said expanded user messages.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein further program components inter-related to said program components from said individual log message, are extracted recursively from said plurality of relationship tables until all inter-related program components are extracted.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said program components and said inter-related program components are stored in sets by type.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which said extracted program component types of said further log message are compared to said program component types of said sets and wherein a successful inter-relationship between said further log messages and said individual log message occurs with an intersection between all said program component sets.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said successful inter-relationship is displayed.

13. A system for dynamically generating expanded user messages, including a processor, memory, and operating system capable of executing application programs, said system comprising:

a tool for generating log messages in response to events from the execution of said application program,

a pre-processor for pre-analysing the application program source code to extract a plurality of types of program component including comments and creating a plurality of relationship tables between said different component types,

means for reading an individual log message from said log file,

means for determining said program components in said log message,

means for extracting comments associated with said program components from said plurality of relationship tables, and

means for combining said comments to produce said expanded user messages.

14. A computer program recorded on a medium, said program for dynamically generating expanded user messages in a computer system having a processor, a memory, an operating system capable of executing application programs, and a logging tool for creating a log file comprising log messages in response to events occurring during execution of said application programs, said computer program comprising:

means for pre-analysing the application program source code to extract a plurality of types of program component including comments,

means for creating a plurality of relationship tables between said different component types,

means for reading an individual log message from said log file,

means for determining said program components in said log message,

means for extracting comments associated with said program components from said plurality of relationship tables,

means for combining said comments to produce said expanded user messages.