A survey of dynamic program analysis techniques and tools

Abstract

Dynamic program analysis is a very popular technique for analysis of computer programs. It analyses the properties of a program while it is executing. Dynamic analysis has been found to be more precise than static analysis in handling run-time features like dynamic binding, polymorphism, threads etc. Therefore much emphasis is now being given on dynamic analysis of programs (instead of static analysis) involving the above mentioned features. Various techniques have been devised over the past several years for the dynamic analysis of programs. This paper provides an overview of the existing techniques and tools for the dynamic analysis of programs. Further, the paper compares these techniques for their merits and demerits and emphasizes the importance of each technique.