Interactive object graphs for debuggers with improved visualization, inspection and configuration features

Abstract

Debugging as a process involves the examination of the runtime state of objects in order to identify potential defects and the way they are actually propagated among objects (infection). Interactive tools improved the overall conduct of the process by enabling users more efficiently and effectively track down state faults. But as systems grow, the runtime state of programs explodes to encompass a huge number of objects. The later requires state inspection following runtime object associations, thus involving graph views. Existing graph visualizers are not popular because they are mostly visualization than interaction oriented, implementing general-purpose graph drawing algorithms. The latter explains why prominent development environments still adopt traditional tree views. We introduce a debugging assistant with a visualization technique designed to better fit the task of defect detection in runtime object networks, also supporting advanced inspection and configuration features. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.