Executable-to-Source Mapping Using IR for Faster Debugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies struggle to accurately identify and address performance issues and bugs in source code, particularly in compiled executable files, as they fail to effectively link machine instructions back to the source program, making performance tuning and debugging inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that disassemble a compiled executable file to create an intermediate representation (IR) of the source program, match individual statements to corresponding portions of the IR, and determine source program line numbers and user variables to pinpoint problematic areas, enabling efficient identification and correction of issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If source code is compiled into executable machine code, then the program can be executed by computer hardware, but the ability to identify and debug source code problems becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate representation (IR) as a mediator between the source code and the disassembled executable code. The IR serves as a bridge that preserves the structure and semantics of the original source code while representing the compiled executable, enabling developers to trace machine code instructions back to their source code origins for easier debugging and performance analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the source code structure in the form of an intermediate representation. This IR copy maintains the essential characteristics and relationships of the original source code while being in a form that can be easily compared with the disassembled executable, allowing for efficient mapping and problem identification without modifying the original source code.
2Measurement precision
If developers manually debug compiled executable files, then they can identify performance issues, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by automatically generating the intermediate representation and creating the mapping between source code statements and IR portions before the actual debugging or performance analysis begins. This pre-computed mapping structure is then readily available for quick reference during debugging sessions, eliminating the need for manual trace-through and significantly reducing the time required to identify performance issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the source code execution path in the intermediate representation, which can be efficiently searched and analyzed. This IR copy allows developers to quickly locate performance bottlenecks by examining the structured IR and its mapping to source code, rather than manually stepping through compiled machine code, thereby reducing debugging time while maintaining precision.
3Productivity
If the compiler optimizes the source code, then the executable performance improves, but the correspondence between source code and machine code becomes less obvious
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate representation acts as an intermediary that preserves source code mapping information even when the compiler applies optimizations. The IR captures the semantic meaning and structural relationships of the source code in a way that remains traceable back to the original statements, allowing developers to understand the relationship between optimized machine code and source code despite compiler transformations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of code representation from direct source code text to an intermediate representation that can accommodate compiler optimizations. The IR uses abstract syntax trees and symbolic representations that can represent optimized code structures while maintaining the ability to map back to original source code statements, thus preserving mapping information despite parameter changes introduced by optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for creating an intermediate representation (IR) of a source program by disassembling a compiled executable file and accessing source information describing the source program. In embodiments, the method further includes matching individual statements of the source program to corresponding portions of the IR of the source program, where the mapping is based at least in part on the source information and determining a source program line number for at least one constraint of a plurality of constraints based on the matching. In embodiments, the method further includes outputting the source program line number and any user variables for the at least one constraint.