Memory error tracking in a multiple-user development environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9424164-B2
Application number	US-201414533290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A method for identifying code segments and associated software developers in a software development environment is disclosed. A software development tool detects a memory error in a first code segment. The software development tool associates the memory error with a first software developer that is associated with the first code segment. The software development tool identifies a second code segment related to the first code segment. The software development tool associates the memory error with a second software developer that is associated with the second code segment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for identifying code segments in a software development environment, the software development environment associated with a plurality of software developers, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to perform a method comprising:
detecting, by a software development tool and concurrently with compilation, a first code segment that generates a memory error, the first code segment associated with a first software developer;
associating, by the software development tool and concurrently with compilation, the first software developer with the memory error;
identifying, by the software development tool and concurrently with compilation, a second code segment, the second code segment related to the first code segment, the second code segment associated with a second software developer; and
associating, by the software development tool and concurrently with compilation, the second software developer with the memory error.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
generating a report that identifies the memory error, the first code segment, the first software developer, the second code segment, and the second software developer.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the second code segment comprises:
locating a stack frame, the stack frame associated with an automatic variable referenced in the first code segment; and
mapping the stack frame to the second code segment, the second code segment associated with the automatic variable.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the second code segment comprises retrieving the location of a static variable in the second code segment.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the second code segment comprises:
wrapping allocation of a dynamic memory calls from the second code segment; and
tracking the dynamic memory calls from the second code segment that call the first code segment.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first code segment is contained in a first source code file and wherein the first source code file includes one or more file attributes, and wherein the associating the first software developer with the memory includes reading a name of the first software developer from the one or more file attributes.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the second code segment is contained in a second source code file and wherein the second source code file includes one or more second file attributes, and wherein the associating the second software developer with the memory includes reading a name of the second software developer from the one or more second file attributes.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first code segment contains comments and wherein the associating the first software developer with the memory error comprises detecting a name of the first software developer in the comments.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the second code segment is a function, and wherein the identifying comprises detecting that the function was called by the first code segment.

10. A system for identifying code segments in a software development environment, the software development environment associated with a plurality of software developers, the system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to perform a method comprising:
detecting, by a software development tool and concurrently with compilation, a first code segment that generates a memory error, the first code segment associated with a first software developer;
associating, by the software development tool and concurrently with compilation, the first software developer with the memory error;
identifying, by the software development tool and concurrently with compilation, a second code segment, the second code segment related to the first code segment, the second code segment associated with a second software developer; and
associating, by the software development tool and concurrently with compilation, the second software developer with the memory error.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises generating a report that identifies the memory error, the first code segment, the first software developer, the second code segment, and the second software developer.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the identifying the second code segment comprises:
locating, a stack frame, the stack frame associated with an automatic variable referenced in the first code segment; and
mapping the stack frame to the second code segment, the second code segment associated with the automatic variable.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the identifying the second code segment comprises retrieving the location of a static variable in the second code segment.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the identifying the second code segment comprises:
wrapping allocation of a dynamic memory calls from the second code segment; and
tracking the dynamic memory calls from the second code segment that call the first code segment.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first code segment is contained in a first source code file and wherein the first source code file includes one or more file attributes, and wherein the associating the first software developer with the memory includes reading a name of the first software developer from the one or more file attributes.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second code segment is contained in a second source code file and wherein the second source code file includes one or more second file attributes, and wherein the associating the second software developer with the memory includes reading a name of the second software developer from the one or more second file attributes.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first code segment contains comments and wherein the associating the first software developer with the memory error comprises detecting a name of the first software developer in the comments.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second code segment is a function, and wherein the identifying comprises detecting that the function was called by the first code segment.

19. A system for identifying code segments in a software development environment, the software development environment associated with a plurality of software developers, the system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to perform a method comprising:
transforming, by a compiler, one or more source code files into object code files, the source code files written using a software development tool;
detecting, by the compiler and concurrently with the transforming, a first code segment that generates a memory error, the first code segment within a first source code file of the one or more source code files;
requesting, by the compiler, one or more first attributes related to the first source code file from revision control software, the revision control software utilized by the plurality of software developers;
receiving, by the compiler and based on the request, the one or more first attributes from the revision control software, the first attributes including a list of software developers related to the first source co

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bates Cary L
• Helgeson Lee N
• King Justin K
• Schlicht Michelle A

Classifications

• G06F11/079

  Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis (in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36) · CPC title

• G06F11/0721

  within a central processing unit [CPU] · CPC title

• G06F8/70

  Software maintenance or management · CPC title

• G06F11/3688

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

• G06F11/3624 Primary

  by performing operations on the source code, e.g. via a compiler · CPC title