Locating program features using execution slices

TitleLocating program features using execution slices
Publication TypeConference Paper
Year of Publication1999
AuthorsWE Wong, SS Gokhale,, and KS Trivedi
Conference NameProceedings - 1999 IEEE Symposium on Application-Specific Systems and Software Engineering and Technology, ASSET 1999
Date Published01/1999
Abstract

An important step towards effective software maintenance is to locate the code relevant to a particular feature. We report a study applying an execution slice-based technique to a reliability and performance evaluator to identify the code which is unique to a feature, or is common to a group of features. Supported by tools called ATAC and chi/Vue, the program features in the source code can be tracked down to files, functions, lines of code, decisions, and then c- or p-uses. Our study suggests that the technique can provide software programmers and maintainers with a good starting point for quick program understanding.

DOI10.1109/ASSET.1999.756769