Method and system for recording program information in the event of a failure

• US 7,237,232 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Walter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHIH CHING
• Application Number:
  US09/990,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124, 717/128, 717/4, 717/130, 714/45, 370/249
• US Class Current: 717/130
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for use by software program developers. More specifically, the invention involves a system and method that allows software developers to more effectively diagnose bugs existing in software programs that may result in a crash of the program. Using this method, a software developer will author program code that includes LogEvent calls, which indicate events taking place that are to be logged. The developer will include in the LogEvent call a text string that is meaningful to the software developer and that indicates what the program is doing at a certain event. A generation tool inserts event tags that correspond to the text string and creates an index file mapping the text strings to the appropriate event tags. The text strings are then removed from the program code prior to retail sale, leaving the event tags in place. As the program runs, a log file is created of the events as indicated by the event tags. If the program should crash, the log file is closed and is sent to the software company. In one embodiment, the developer may include a flag that is used to remove any sensitive or personal information prior to the log file being sent to the software company. Once at the software company, the log file is processed to generate a text file by mapping the event tags with the previously removed text strings. Using this text file, the software developer can determine the events leading up to the crash of the program and can more easily develop a solution to the crash.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining information regarding events to be taking place within a software program to be used by a customer on a computing device, comprising:

including, for each of a number of selected events, an indicator within the software program that records the selected event, the indicator including a text string created by a software developer and descriptive of the selected event;

assigning and including within the software program a unique tag corresponding to each text string;

creating an index mapping each tag to the corresponding text string;

prior to retail sale, removing each text string from the software program;

releasing the software program, which includes the unique tags, for retail sale;

after releasing the software program for retail sale, receiving a file of events as indicated by at least a portion of the unique tags included in the software program, the file being created when the software program is run on the computing device used by the customer;

processing the file by using the index to map each unique tag in the file with its corresponding text string to generate a text string record of the events which took place within the software program; and

outputting the text string record of the events which took place within the software program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the text sting record of the events which took place within the software program to determine how the software program may have failed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is a function call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein as the software program executes on the computing device used by the customer, the size of the file of the recorded events is limited.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein in response to a failure of the software program on the computing device used by the customer, the file is automatically transferred to a repository accessible by the software provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the failure is a crash of the software program.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising including within selected indicators an identifier, the identifier identifying information unwanted by a software provider.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein prior to receiving the file, selected data indicated by the identifier is filtered out as unwanted information.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the file is deleted on the computer used by the customer when the program closes normally, without crashing.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the unwanted information is sensitive or personal information about the customer.

9. A computer storage media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for obtaining information regarding events to be taking place within a software program to be used by a customer on a computing device, comprising:

searching for a text string within the software program created by a software developer and descriptive of a selected event;

assigning and including within the software program a unique tag corresponding to each text string found; and

creating an index mapping each tag to the corresponding text string;

prior to retail sale, removing each text string from the software program;

releasing the software program, which includes the unique tags, for retail sale;

after releasing the software program for retail sale, receiving a file of events as indicated by at least a portion of the unique tags included in the software program, the file being created when the software program is run on the computing device used by the customer;

processing the file by using the index to map each unique tag in the file with its corresponding text string to generate a text string record of the events which took place within the software program; and

outputting the text string record of the events which took place within the software program.

10. A computer system having a processor, a memory, and an operating environment, the computer system operable to execute a method for obtaining information regarding events to be taking place within a software program to be used by a customer on a computing device, comprising:

searching for a text string within the software program created by a software developer and descriptive of a selected event;

assigning and including within the software program a unique tag corresponding to each text string found;

creating an index mapping each tag to the corresponding text string;

prior to retail sale, removing each text string from the software program;

releasing the software program, which includes the unique tags, for retail sale;

after releasing the software program for retail sale, receiving a file of events as indicated by at least a portion of the unique tags included in the software program, the file being created when the software program is run on the computing device used by the customer;

processing the file by using the index to map each unique tag in the file with its corresponding text string to generate a text string record of the events which took place within the software program; and

outputting the text string record of the events which took place within the software program.

11. A method for recording program information, by a software provider, about events to be taking place within a software program executing on a computer to be used by a customer, comprising:

including, for each of a number of selected events, an indicator within the software program that records the selected event, the indicator including a text string created by a software developer and descriptive of the selected event;

coding the text string with a unique tag corresponding to each text string;

creating a decoding file mapping each unique tag to the corresponding text string; and

prior to retail sale, removing each text string from the software program;

releasing the software program, which includes the unique tags, for retail sale;

after releasing the software program for retail sale, receiving a file of events as indicated by at least a portion of the unique tags included in the software program, the file being created when the software program is run on the computer used by the customer;

processing the file by using the decoding file to map each unique tag in the file with its corresponding text string to generate a text string record of the evens which took place within the software program; and

outputting the text string record of the events which took place within the software program.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising using the text string record of the events which took place within the software program to determine how the software program may have failed.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein removing each text string from the software program prior to releasing the software program for retail sale includes deleting each text string from the software program but at least temporarily storing said each text string incident to said deleting.