Spatial Locality Deltas in Function Call Graphs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software developers face challenges in understanding how the spatial locality of a function call changes with function definition modifications, making it difficult to identify and resolve errors across different workflows.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface (GUI) in a Source Control System is presented to list changes (deltas) in the spatial locality of a function call across versions of source files, allowing users to select the scope of review and display computed deltas, aiding in tracking and understanding changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If developers manually check for preliminary conditions and post-conditions before and after operations, then error detection capability would improve, but development time and operational complexity would increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically tracks and monitors spatial locality changes in function calls without requiring manual intervention from developers. The source control system autonomously computes deltas between versions, identifies affected workflows, and presents changes to users, eliminating the need for developers to manually check conditions while maintaining high error detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides automatic feedback to developers about spatial locality changes by computing deltas between different versions of source files. This feedback mechanism shows developers exactly how function call spatial locality has changed across versions, enabling them to quickly understand impact without manual analysis while reducing the time needed for error detection
2Measurement precision
If the system tracks detailed spatial locality changes across all function calls, then measurement precision of workflow changes would improve, but device complexity and processing requirements would increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the specific spatial locality information needed for workflow analysis from the complete function call graphs. By focusing on computing deltas only for the spatial locality scope relevant to each function call rather than analyzing every detail, the system achieves precise workflow change detection while reducing processing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different levels of analysis to different function calls based on their importance and spatial locality characteristics. Rather than uniformly analyzing all function calls with the same depth, the system tailors the tracking granularity to local requirements, improving measurement precision for critical workflows while reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
In and for software projects, arrangements for permitting a user to understand how the spatial locality of a function call may have changed with respect to any changes in a function definition. This permits an analysis of different workflows which use the same function, wherein the definition of the function may have changed. To the extent that there might be corresponding changes in the workflows which use such a function, the user will readily develop an idea of why some workflows changed and some did not. The invention method and apparatus determine and display deltas (changes) between different versions of a file where the function call occurs.