xVue

Software maintenance tool

Key functions See where user functions are implemented in the software Know where features are implemented Visualize features in code Reduce time involved with resolving reports

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Description

xVue is a software maintenance tool that allows a programmer to quickly locate code that is associated with features of the system. To determine where a feature is implemented in a program, one would run a small, carefully selected, set of tests -- some which involve the feature and others that do not. Such tests are classified into three categories: invoking tests, excluding tests and don't_know tests. xVue analyzes traces of program execution to look for program components that were executed in the invoking tests but not in the excluding tests. Other heuristics based on different combinations of invoking and excluding tests are also included to identify different sets of components.

xVue provides visual feedback to users by highlighting feature related source code. Depending on the tests and the heuristic selected and the structure of the program under examination, xVue provide a good starting point for mapping features to program components that most existing software maintenance tools cannot. xVue has proved highly effective in resolving trouble reports and in helping software maintainers to quickly explore unfamiliar code.