An integrated framework for the diagnosis and correction of rule-based programs

We present a generic scheme for the declarative debugging of programs that are written in rewriting-based languages that are equipped with narrowing. Our aim is to provide an integrated development environment in which it is possible to debug a program and then correct it automatically. Our methodol...

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Veröffentlicht in:Theoretical computer science Jg. 411; H. 47; S. 4055 - 4101
Hauptverfasser: Alpuente, M., Ballis, D., Correa, F., Falaschi, M.
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Oxford Elsevier B.V 29.10.2010
Elsevier
Schlagworte:
Algorithmics. Computability. Computer arithmetics
Applied sciences
C (programming language)
Computation
Computer science; control theory; systems
Computer simulation
Debugging
Diagnosis
Exact sciences and technology
Functional logic programming
Language theory and syntactical analysis
Mathematical models
Methodology
Miscellaneous
Narrowing
Program transformation
Programming theory
Semantics
Theoretical computing
Workability
Narrowing
Debugging
Program transformation
Functional logic programming
Evaluation
Approximate method
User
Error estimation
Computer theory
Methodology
Induction
Rewriting
Check
Unfolding
Program correctness
Program specification
Implementation
Environment
Diagnosis
Functional programming
Repair
Symptoms
ISSN:0304-3975, 1879-2294
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Zusammenfassung:We present a generic scheme for the declarative debugging of programs that are written in rewriting-based languages that are equipped with narrowing. Our aim is to provide an integrated development environment in which it is possible to debug a program and then correct it automatically. Our methodology is based on the combination (in a single framework) of a semantics-based diagnoser that identifies those parts of the code that contain errors and an inductive learner that tries to repair them, once the bugs have been located in the program. We develop our methodology in several steps. First, we associate with our programs a semantics that is based on a (continuous) immediate consequence operator, T R , which models the answers computed by narrowing and is parametric w.r.t. the evaluation strategy, which can be eager or lazy. Then, we show that, given the intended specification of a program R , it is possible to check the correctness of R by a single step of T R . In order to develop an effective debugging method, we approximate the computed answers semantics of R and derive a finitely terminating bottom-up abstract diagnosis method, which can be used statically. Finally, a bug-correction program synthesis methodology attempts to correct the erroneous components of the wrong code. We propose a hybrid, top-down (unfolding-based) as well as bottom-up (induction-based), correction approach that is driven by a set of evidence examples which are automatically produced as an outcome by the diagnoser. The resulting program is proven to be correct and complete w.r.t. the considered example sets. Our debugging framework does not require the user to provide error symptoms in advance or to answer difficult questions concerning program correctness. An implementation of our debugging system has been undertaken which demonstrates the workability of our approach.
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ISSN:0304-3975
1879-2294
DOI:10.1016/j.tcs.2010.07.009