Method and system for tracing

• US 6,944,797 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gutierrez, David, Millington, Bradley D., Guthrie, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BADERMAN, SCOTT T
• Application Number:
  US09/876,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 714/45, 714/46, 714/38, 717/124, 717/127, 717/128, 717/125, 717/130, 717/131
• US Class Current: 714/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3624 by performing operations on the source code, e.g. via a compiler
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program

Abstract

A method of collecting runtime information for an application in a computing system includes locating trace statements in a source code of the application, collecting information regarding the trace statements, and outputting the information for use by a user. A system for collecting runtime information for an application in a computing system includes a locate module, a collect module, and an output module. The locate module locates trace statements in a source code of an application. The collect module collects information regarding the trace statements. The output module outputs the information for use by a user.

Claims

1. A method of collecting runtime information for an application in a computing system, the method comprising:

locating trace statements in a source code of the application;

collecting information regarding the trace statements;

outputting the information for use by a user; and

detecting if the information should be output to a separate application;

if the output should not be to a separate application then outputting the information to a bottom of a page for viewing by a user; and

if the output should be to a separate application then outputting the information to the separate application.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

before locating trace statements, detecting if a trace function is enabled.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

detecting if a trace function is enabled includes if the trace function is enabled;

locating trace statements in a source code of the application;

collecting information regarding the trace statements;

outputting the information for viewing by a user; and

and if the trace function is not enabled;

ignoring the trace statements.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

outputting includes organizing the information according to predefined organizational attributes.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

collecting server control information;

collecting cookie information;

collecting header information; and

collecting server variable information.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

outputting the information includes outputting the information to a bottom of a page for viewing by a user.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

outputting the information to the separate application includes outputting the information to a separate web page.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

collecting information includes collecting a request occurrence time, an http status code, and a request type.

9. A system for collecting runtime information for an application in a computing system, the system comprising:

a locate module that locates trace statements in a source code of the application;

a collect module that collects information regarding the trace statements;

an output module that outputs the information by use by a user;

a detect module that detects if the information should be output to a separate application; and

a separate module that outputs the information to the separate application.

10. A system according to claim 9 further comprising:

a detect module that detects if a trace function is enabled.

11. A system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a compile operation that ignores the trace statements.

12. A system according to claim 9 wherein:

the output module organizes the information according to predefined organizational attributes.

13. A system according to claim 9 further comprising:

a server module that collects server control information;

a cookie module that collects cookie information;

a header module that collects header information; and

a server module that collects server variable information.

14. A system according to claim 9 further comprising:

a page module that outputs the information to a bottom of a page for viewing by a user.

15. A system according to claim 9 wherein:

the separate module outputs the information to a separate web page.

16. A system according to claim 9 wherein:

the collection module collects a request occurrence time, an http status code, and a request type.

17. A computer program product readable by a computing system and encoding instructions for a computer process for collecting runtime information for an application in a computing system, the computer process comprising:

locating trace statements in a source code of the application;

collecting information regarding the trace statements;

outputting the information for use by a user; and

detecting if the information should be output to a separate application;

if the output should not be to a separate application then outputting the information to a bottom of a page for viewing by a user; and

if the output should be to a separate application then outputting the information to the separate application.

18. A computer process according to claim 17 further comprising:

before locating trace statements, detecting if a trace function is enabled.

19. A computer process according to claim 18 further comprising:

detecting if a trace function is enabled includes if the trace function is enabled;

locating trace statements in a source code of the application;

collecting information regarding the trace statements;

outputting the information for viewing by a user; and

and if the trace function is not enabled;

ignoring the trace statements.

20. A computer process according to claim 17 wherein:

outputting includes organizing the information according to predefined organizational attributes.

21. A computer process according to claim 17 further comprising:

collecting server control information;

collecting cookie information;

collecting header information; and

collecting server variable information.

22. A computer process according to claim 17 wherein:

outputting the information includes outputting the information to a bottom of a page for viewing by a user.

23. A computer process according to claim 17 wherein:

outputting the information to the separate application includes outputting the information to a separate web page.

24. A computer process according to claim 17 wherein:

collecting information includes collecting a request occurrence time, an http status code, and a request type.