Automated Debugging in Java Using OCL and JDI

Title: Automated Debugging in Java Using OCL and JDI

Research Question: Can we develop a mechanism for incorporating correctness constraints into Java development environments using OCL and JDI, and if so, what are the benefits and implications of this approach?

Methodology: The researchers used OCL (Object Constraint Language) as a specification language and JDI (Java Debug Interface) as a verification API. OCL provides a standard way to express object-oriented constraints and integrate them with UML models, while JDI is a standard Java API that supports type-safe and side-effect-free runtime constraint evaluation.

Results: The researchers developed a prototype correctness constraint auditor that demonstrates the utility of this mechanism for automated debugging. This auditor works with standard off-the-shelf Java virtual machines and does not require any modifications to the programming language or access to the source code.

Benefits and Implications: The main benefit of this approach is that it provides a standard, efficient way to incorporate correctness constraints into Java development environments. This can improve the debugging process and help developers catch errors earlier. The implications of this approach are that it may lead to more robust and reliable Java applications, and it could potentially be applied to other programming languages and development environments.

Conclusion: The researchers successfully developed a mechanism for incorporating correctness constraints into Java development environments using OCL and JDI. This approach has several benefits and implications for the development of more robust and reliable Java applications.

Link to Article: https://arxiv.org/abs/0101002v1 Authors: arXiv ID: 0101002v1