Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery – Data processing system error or fault handling – Reliability and availability
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-26
2002-08-20
Baderman, Scott (Department: 2785)
Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery
Data processing system error or fault handling
Reliability and availability
C717S125000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06438713
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a debugger for support of the debugging of a program, an array data displaying method in the debugger, and a recording medium having an array data displaying program in the debugger, and more particularly to the debugging of a program with which array data is saved and displayed and the debugging of a multi-process program with which an array distributed to each process is constructed and displayed.
In the prior art of the debugging of a program, means for saving array data referred to a method in which after a sentence or statement for writing array data into a memory such as a file is inserted into a source, a program is re-executed so that the array data is saved. Also, there is a method in which the reference to array data is made without changing a source, that is, a method in which a debugger is used so that array data at the present point of time is displayed at a breakpoint while a program is executed. Further, there is the case where an OS is constructed so that a memory dump is outputted at the time of abnormal completion of a program. The contents of the memory dump can be saved as a dump file. Array data is displayed by passing the dump file through a debugger.
However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems. Namely, the saving of array data into a memory such as a file requires that a statement for writing array data into the memory should be inserted into a source. This is accompanied with a danger that an erroneous source change may be made when the statement is inserted at the time of debugging and when it is deleted after debugging. In the method in which a debugger is used with no source change, the debugging is possible only in the case where a program is executed or in the case where a program is abnormally completed. In particular, for a program such as a structure analysis program requiring a long executing time, it is difficult of repeated execution and a problem arises in the aspect of debugging efficiency. Further, the conventional debugger is capable of only the reference to array data at the present breakpoint (or at a point of time of progression of a program which is being executed) and is not provided with means for saving the array data. Therefore, it is not possible to refer to array data at the time of break or interruption before the present breakpoint. In particular, it is difficult to compare the previous contents and the present contents. Also, in the case where a memory dump is outputted, a large amount of data other than a desired array exists and hence the saving of such data causes a problem in the aspect of resource. Further, since the memory dump is outputted only when a program is abnormally completed, this method is unavailable in the case where the program is normally completed.
In the prior art of the debugging of a program distributed to a plurality of processes, means for referring to the whole of a distributed array includes a method in which the distributed array data is displayed as separate arrays corresponding to the respective processes. Also, means for constructing an array distributed to a plurality of programs into an array before distribution includes a method in which a program to be debugged is once completed following the writing of array data of each process into a memory such as a file, and a program for constructing the array data written in the memory into one array is peculiarly generated by a user so that the array data is constructed into an array before distribution and the constructed array is displayed. Further, a method of displaying the values of elements in an array of a single process or in distributional arrays includes a method in which the values of all elements in a designated array(s) are displayed in the form of a text or in the form of a graph.
However, such prior art has the following problems. Namely, since array data distributed to a plurality of processes is capable of only the reference to as separate arrays, there is a problem that it is not possible to grasp the whole of the distributed array at once. Also, the system for constructing distributional arrays into one array through the generation of another program requires that a program to be debugged should be completed once. Therefore, this system has a problem that the efficiency of debugging is poor. Further, in the case where a large amount of data is to be displayed in the form of a graph, the display of all array data in a display screen area or display window makes the displaying rate low. In this case, there is a problem that it is not possible to display all data in one display screen area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide the debugging of a program with which the contents of array data at a desired row in the program are saved into a file without changing a source and the saved array data is displayed on occasion. A second object of the present invention is to provide the debugging of a multi-process program (or parallel program) with which the efficiency of debugging is improved by automatically constructing a distributed array at a desired row in a program to be debugged and displaying the constructed array in the form of a graph at a high speed.
To attain the first object of the present invention, data saving means for saving the contents of array data at a breakpoint into a file for the saving of array data (hereinafter referred to as array data save file) in time series is provided in a debugger system. Thereby, the saving of any array data at any breakpoint is possible irrespective of whether the program is normally completed or abnormally completed. Also, the saving of a resource as compared with the case of a memory dump is possible since unnecessary information is removed so that only any necessary array data can be saved.
To attain the first object, data displaying means for fetching the saved array data from the array data save file and displaying it on occasion may be provided in the debugger system. The data displaying means is operated as a process separated from and asynchronously with the data saving means to enable the occasional display under program execution or after the completion of program execution. With this construction, the previously displayed array can be displayed on occasion under program execution, thereby improving the efficiency of debugging. Also, array data sampled at the time of program execution can be displayed on occasion after the completion of program execution, thereby improving the efficiency of debugging.
To attain the first object, selecting means for facilitating the selection of an array to be displayed from an array name, a sampling instant of time and/or the like for the saved array data and facilitating maintenance including the deletion, copy and/or the like of the saved array data may be provided in the data displaying means. With the provision of the selecting means, the display of array data can be performed in such a manner that desired array data can easily be selected. Also, the maintenance including the deletion, copy and/or the like of the saved array data can be facilitated. Thereby, user's convenience is afforded.
A file format of the array data save file is defined as means for effectively realizing the first object and as means for effective realization in a plural-process system such as a parallel computer.
To attain the first object, data compressing means for reducing the amount of data of the array data save file by lowering the accuracy in numeric value of an array value may be provided in the data saving means. Thereby, in a large scale array requiring the use of a large amount of a resource such as a disk, the further saving of the resource is possible in the case where no problem is provided even if the display is made with the accuracy in numeric value lowered at an initial stage of debugging, at the time of graph display, and so forth.
To attain the first object, CSV (Comma Separated Valve) format file generating means for conv
Aoyagi Kenya
Endo Tsuyoshi
Irie Yoichi
Mitsunaga Saori
Taira Keigo
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