METHOD OF TESTING SOFTWARE

• US 20160224454A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: GHEORGHE, ALEXANDRU COSMIN, LAZARESCU, RADU THEODOR, MILOIU, DRAGOS, NISTOR, MIHAIL-MARIAN
• Granted Patent: US 9,619,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/364 tracing values on a bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

A method of testing software uses a debugger and a breakpoint handler. The debugger inserts a breakpoint in a target application and enters at least one filtering condition associated with the breakpoint in a data structure. When during execution the target application encounters a breakpoint at an address, the target application transfers execution to the breakpoint handler. The breakpoint handler uses the address to retrieve filtering conditions from the data structure, executes code for evaluating the filtering condition, and transfers execution back to the target application if the filtering condition is not met.

Claims

1. A method of testing software of a target application using a debugger and a breakpoint handler comprising:

inserting, by the debugger,

a breakpoint in the target application;

entering, by the debugger, at least one filtering condition associated with the breakpoint in a data structure;

transferring execution by the target application to the breakpoint handler when during execution the target application encounters a breakpoint at an address;

retrieving, by the breakpoint handler,

a filtering condition from the data structure based upon the address;

evaluating, by the breakpoint handler, the filtering condition to determine if the filtering condition is met, and

executing, by the breakpoint handler, a private code that is specific to the breakpoint if the filtering condition is not met wherein the private code comprises position independent code and code for jumping back to the target application.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein evaluating the filter condition comprises executing common code

at the breakpoint handler that evaluates a plurality of breakpoints that includes the particular breakpoint, wherein based upon the evaluation the common code implements a jump to the private code.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

restoring at least some registers affected by the breakpoint.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

restoring, by the private code, any remaining registers affected by the breakpoint.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating, be the debugger, the private code of the breakpoint handler.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

translating, by the debugger, original code replaced with the breakpoint into the position independent code.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

invoking, by the debugger, a disassembler for identifying and, if necessary, changing instructions of the original code.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transferring execution to the breakpoint handler via an interrupt handler, which interrupt handler passes the address of the breakpoint to the breakpoint handler.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

stopping execution of the target application if the filtering condition is met.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

entering in the data structure, together with each filtering condition associated with the breakpoint, an identification of a private code entry.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transferring execution to the breakpoint handler via an interrupt handler.

14. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

restoring any remaining registers affected by the breakpoint.

12. A computer program product, not comprising transitory media, comprising instructions for causing a processor system to perform a method of testing software using a debugger and a breakpoint handler,

the breakpoint handler comprises private code specific to a breakpoint, wherein the private code comprises position independent code and code for jumping back to a target application,

the debugger instructions of the product are configured for:

inserting the breakpoint in the target application,

entering at least one filtering condition associated with the breakpoint in a data structure, and

causing, when during execution the target application encounters a breakpoint at a certain address, the target application to transfer execution to the breakpoint handler,

and in which product the breakpoint handler instructions are configured for;

using the address to retrieve filtering conditions from the data structure,

executing code for evaluating the filtering condition, and

executing the private code if the filtering condition is not met.

13. A system for testing software, executing on a processor of a computer system, using a debugger and a breakpoint handler,

wherein the breakpoint handler comprises private code specific to a breakpoint,

wherein the private code comprises position independent code and code for jumping back to a target application,

wherein the debugger is configured for:

inserting the breakpoint in the target application,

entering at least one filtering condition associated with the breakpoint in a data structure, and

causing, when during execution the target application encounters a breakpoint at an address, the target application to transfers execution to the breakpoint handler,

and wherein the breakpoint handler is configured for;

using the address to retrieve filtering conditions from the data structure,

executing code for evaluating the filtering condition, and

executing the private code if the filtering condition is not met.