Dynamic Analysis
Tudor Gîrba
www.tudorgirba.com

Dynamic analysis is the analysis of the properties of a
running program
9
Ball 199

Dynamic analysis is the analysis of the properties of a
running program
prope rties?
W hat
9
Ball 199

main()

method()

method2(param)

e infor mation
offers precis
ic an alysis
Dynam

ment
instru and why
H ow to
t to c apture
Wha odel
Ho w to m cute
What to exe

How to instrument

…
public class BankAccount {
private Money balance;
public void deposit(Money amount) {
System.out.println(“deposit“);
this.balance += money;
}
}

import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
…
public class BankAccount {
private Money balance;
public void deposit(Money amount) {
logger.info(“deposit“);
this.balance += money;
}
}

Method Wrappers and Aspects intervene before
and after each interesting method

Profilers probe the system

3+4
pushConstant: 3
pushConstant: 4
popIntoTemp: 0
“put argument in temp 0”
popIntoTemp: 1
“put receiver in temp 1”
send: +
“perform addition”
returnTop

3+4
… insertBefore: 'Transcript show: <meta: #receiver>'
pushConstant: 3
pushConstant: 4
popIntoTemp: 0
\"put argument in temp 0\"
popIntoTemp: 1
\"put receiver in temp 1\"
pushLit: ##Transcript
\"start of inserted code\"
pushTemp: 1
\"push receiver for
printing\"
send: asString
send: show:
pop
\"end of inserted code\"
pushTemp: 1
\"rebuild the stack\"
pushTemp: 0
send: +
returnTop 8
Den ker 200

3+4
Message (+)
Receiver (3)
Arguments (4)
00 7
Denke r etal 2

3+4
… insertBefore: 'Transcript show: <meta: #receiver>'
before Transcript show: <meta: #receiver>
Message (+)
Receiver (3)
Arguments (4)
00 7
Denke r etal 2

How to instrument

How to instrument
What to capture and why

Collecting Garbage is a Dynamic Analysis

The Control Flow is the most common focus

8
Pauw etal 199
De

8
Pauw etal 199
De

8
Pauw etal 199
De

Trace Signals reveal similar execution traces
eevy 2006
Kuhn, Gr

Inter Class Call Matrix shows how classes
collaborate at runtime
3
Pauw etal 199
De

Communication Interaction shows how classes
collaborate at runtime
4
casse etal 200
Du

How to instrument
What to capture and why

How to instrument
What to capture and why
How to model

sender
0..1 *
Activation

Class
sender 1
0..1 * *
Activation * 1
Method

A feature is an observable unit of behavior of a system
triggered by the user
arth e tal 2003
Eisenb

Feature 1 Feature 2 ... Feature n

Class
sender 1
0..1 * *
Activation * 1
Method

Class
sender 1
0..1 * *
Activation * 1
Method
*
Feature

5
ilde, Sc ully 199
W

5
ilde, Sc ully 199
W

5
ilde, Sc ully 199
W

Software Reconnaissance identifies
where features are implemented
5
ilde, Sc ully 199
W

er 2004
n , Demey
Zaidma

Feature Views show how features cover classes
e tal 2006
addFolder addPage Greevy

addFolder addPage

Team Collaboration shows how
authors develop features
e tal 2007
Greevy

How to instrument
What to capture and why
How to model

How to instrument
What to capture and why
How to model
activations
metho d
more than
e runt ime is
Th

return

return
field-read

return
field-write
field-read

return
field-write
field-read
return

return
field-write field-read
field-read
return
parameter
allocation

Object Flow captures object aliases
9
Lienh ard 200

Object Flow captures object aliases
9
Lienh ard 200

Class
sender 1
0..1 * *
Activation * 1
Method
*
Feature

* 1
Instance Class
sender 1
0..1 * *
Activation * 1
Method
*
Feature

subject 1
Instance * Class
sender 1
* 0..1 * *
0..1 Activation * 1
Alias receiver Method
parent
*
creator
Feature

subject 1 1
Instance * Class
sender 1
* 0..1 * *
0..1 Activation * 1
Alias receiver Method
parent
*
creator
*
Feature Attribute
ArgumentAlias ReturnAlias TempAlias FieldAlias

Object Flow shows how objects move
e tal 2007
L ienhard

Object Dependencies reveal features dependencies
Open Join Channel
Connect Send Message
e tal 2007
L ienhard

ontains
stack c ause
e execution bug’s c
ases th on about the
of the c formati
In 50% ly no in
ess ential
5
Liblit etal 200

Back in time debuggers remember
more than the current stack
08
Fierz 20

How to instrument
What to capture and why
How to model
activations
metho d
more than
e runt ime is
Th

How to instrument
What to capture and why
How to model
What to execute
activations
metho d
more than
e runt ime is
Th

Tudor Gîrba
www.tudorgirba.com
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/