research-article

Automated error localization and correction for imperative programs

Authors:

Robert Könighofer,

Roderick BloemAuthors Info & Claims

FMCAD '11: Proceedings of the International Conference on Formal Methods in Computer-Aided Design

Pages 91 - 100

Published: 30 October 2011 Publication History

Abstract

In this paper, we present a novel debugging method for imperative software, featuring both automatic error localization and correction. The input of our method is an incorrect program and a corresponding specification, which can be given in form of assertions or as a reference implementation. We use symbolic execution for program analysis. This allows for a wide range of different trade-offs between resource requirements and accuracy of results. Our error localization method rests upon model-based diagnosis and SMT-solving. Error correction is done using a template-based approach which ensures that the computed repairs are readable. Our method can handle all sorts of incorrect expressions, not only under a single-fault assumption but also for multiple faults. Finally, we present experimental results, where an implementation for C programs is used to debug mutants of the TCAS case study of the Siemens suite.

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Cited By

Birch GFischer BPoppleton M(2019)Fast test suite-driven model-based fault localisation with application to pinpointing defects in student programsSoftware and Systems Modeling (SoSyM)10.1007/s10270-017-0612-y18:1(445-471)Online publication date: 1-Feb-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10270-017-0612-y
Gulwani SRadiček IZuleger F(2018)Automated clustering and program repair for introductory programming assignmentsACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/3296979.319238753:4(465-480)Online publication date: 11-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3296979.3192387
Wang KSingh RSu Z(2018)Search, align, and repair: data-driven feedback generation for introductory programming exercisesACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/3296979.319238453:4(481-495)Online publication date: 11-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3296979.3192384
Show More Cited By

Automated error localization and correction for imperative programs
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software creation and management
    1. Software verification and validation
      1. Software defect analysis

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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

FMCAD '11: Proceedings of the International Conference on Formal Methods in Computer-Aided Design

October 2011

240 pages

ISBN:9780983567813

Program Chairs:
Per Bjesse
Synopsys
,
Anna Slobodová
Centaur Technology

Sponsors

ACM: Association for Computing Machinery
IEEE Council on Electronic Design Automation (CEDA)
FMCAD: FMCAD, Inc

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FMCAD Inc

Austin, Texas

Publication History

Published: 30 October 2011

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FMCAD '11

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ACM
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FMCAD '11: International Conference on Formal Methods in Computer-Aided Design

October 30 - November 2, 2011

Texas, Austin

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Cited By

Birch GFischer BPoppleton M(2019)Fast test suite-driven model-based fault localisation with application to pinpointing defects in student programsSoftware and Systems Modeling (SoSyM)10.1007/s10270-017-0612-y18:1(445-471)Online publication date: 1-Feb-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10270-017-0612-y
Gulwani SRadiček IZuleger F(2018)Automated clustering and program repair for introductory programming assignmentsACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/3296979.319238753:4(465-480)Online publication date: 11-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3296979.3192387
Wang KSingh RSu Z(2018)Search, align, and repair: data-driven feedback generation for introductory programming exercisesACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/3296979.319238453:4(481-495)Online publication date: 11-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3296979.3192384
Lee JSong DSo SOh H(2018)Automatic diagnosis and correction of logical errors for functional programming assignmentsProceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages10.1145/32765282:OOPSLA(1-30)Online publication date: 24-Oct-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3276528
Gulwani SRadiček IZuleger FFoster JGrossman D(2018)Automated clustering and program repair for introductory programming assignmentsProceedings of the 39th ACM SIGPLAN Conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation10.1145/3192366.3192387(465-480)Online publication date: 11-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3192366.3192387
Wang KSingh RSu ZFoster JGrossman D(2018)Search, align, and repair: data-driven feedback generation for introductory programming exercisesProceedings of the 39th ACM SIGPLAN Conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation10.1145/3192366.3192384(481-495)Online publication date: 11-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3192366.3192384
Monperrus M(2018)Automatic Software RepairACM Computing Surveys10.1145/310590651:1(1-24)Online publication date: 23-Jan-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3105906
Le XThung FLo DLe Goues C(2018)Overfitting in semantics-based automated program repairEmpirical Software Engineering10.1007/s10664-017-9577-223:5(3007-3033)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10664-017-9577-2
Gember-Jacobson AAkella AMahajan RLiu H(2017)Automatically Repairing Network Control Planes Using an Abstract RepresentationProceedings of the 26th Symposium on Operating Systems Principles10.1145/3132747.3132753(359-373)Online publication date: 14-Oct-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3132747.3132753
Kim DKwon YLiu PKim IPerry DZhang XRodriguez-Rivera G(2016)Apex: automatic programming assignment error explanationACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/3022671.298403151:10(311-327)Online publication date: 19-Oct-2016
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