Static analysis of computer code to determine impact of change to a code component upon a dependent code component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9032376-B2
Application number	US-201314037576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2013
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	May 12, 2015
Grant date	May 12, 2015

Abstract

A method is provided to evaluate impact of a change in code of a depended upon component of a system stored in a computer readable storage device, upon a dependent component of the system, the method comprising: identifying a dependency relationship between a first component stored in a computer readable storage device and a second component stored in the computer readable storage device; in response to a determination that the second component depends upon the first component, configuring a computer system to obtain a first property evaluation corresponding to the first component; and in response to obtaining the first property evaluation corresponding to the first component, configuring the computer system to associate the first property evaluation with the second component, and obtain a second property evaluation corresponding to the second component, wherein the second component is associated with the first property evaluation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to evaluate impact of a change in code of a depended upon component of a system stored in a computer readable storage device, upon a dependent component of the system, comprising:
providing in a computer readable storage device a first property evaluation summary structure that associates multiple respective property evaluations with a first version of a first component of the system;
providing in a computer readable storage device a second property evaluation summary structure that associates multiple respective property evaluations with a second version of the first component of the system;
providing in a computer readable storage device a third property evaluation summary structure that associates multiple respective property evaluations with a first version of a second component of the system;
providing in a computer readable storage device a fourth property evaluation summary structure that associates multiple respective property evaluations with a second version of the second component of the system;
comparing, by a processor, respective property evaluations within the first property evaluation summary structure with corresponding property evaluations within the second property evaluation summary structure; and
comparing, by a processor, respective property evaluations within the third property evaluation summary structure with corresponding property evaluations within the fourth property evaluation summary structure;
wherein the first component of the system is dependent upon the second component of the system, and wherein the computer readable storage device does not consist of transitory, propagating signals.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth property evaluation summary structures contains the same kinds of property evaluations.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective function.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective first function; and
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective third and fourth property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective second function.

5. The method of claim 4 ,
wherein the first and second functions are different functions.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective function; and
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective function returns a null pointer.

7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective first function;
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective first function returns a null pointer;
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective third and fourth property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective second function; and
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective third and fourth property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective second function returns a null pointer.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective function; and
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective function dereference its argument.

9. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective first function;
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective first function dereference its argument;
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective third and fourth property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective second function; and
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective third and fourth property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective second function dereference its argument.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective function; and
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective function is a result of memory allocation operation.

11. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective first function;
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective first function dereference its argument;
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective third and fourth property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective second function; and
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective third and fourth property evaluation summary structures indicates whether the respective second function dereference its argument.

12. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective class definition.

13. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective property evaluations within the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures are associated with the same respective class definition;
wherein at least one respective property evaluation within each of the respective first and second property evaluation summary structures indicates a size of an instantiated class in bytes.

14. A method to evaluate impact of a change in code of a depended upon component of a system stored in a computer readable storage device, upon a dependent component of the system, comprising:
identifying a dependency relationship between a first component stored in a computer readable storage device and a second component stored in the computer readable storage device;
in response to a determination that the second component depends upon the first component, configuring a computer system to obtain a first property evaluation corresponding to the first component; and
in response to the act of obtaining the first property evaluation corresponding to the first component, configuring the computer system to;
associate the first property evaluation with the second component, and
obtain a second property ev

Assignees

• Synopsys Inc

Inventors

• Boshernitsan Marat
• Kuehlmann Andreas
• Mcpeak Scott
• Chong Philip
• Welp Tobias

Classifications

• G06F11/3688 Primary

  for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites · CPC title

• G06F11/3612

  by runtime analysis (performance monitoring G06F11/3466) · CPC title

• G06F8/71

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title

• G06F11/368

  for test version control, e.g. updating test cases to a new software version · CPC title