Time Travel in Debugging

Title: Time Travel in Debugging

Main Research Question: How can we enable programmers to reexecute parts of their programs, even those involving I/O operations, without causing unwanted effects?

Methodology: We proposed a mechanism that ensures every I/O action called for by the program is executed at most once, even if the programmer asks the debugger to travel back in time from after the action to before the action.

Results: We presented a simple mechanism that allows time travel in debugging, ensuring that I/O operations are executed only once, even when the programmer jumps back in time.

Implications: This mechanism allows programmers to reexecute parts of their programs, including those involving I/O operations, without causing unwanted effects. This can significantly improve the debugging process and make it more efficient.

Link to Article: https://arxiv.org/abs/0311040v1 Authors: arXiv ID: 0311040v1