Topics include

• how do debuggers work?
• how to profilers work?
• how do you visualize the static structure of a program?
• how do you visualize the dynamic behavior of a program?

See this grant proposal for a good introduction to this class.

Course Contents

• Reading and presenting research papers in class.
• Investigating current tools and present in class.
• Some introductory programming assignments to learn how to program debuggers, profilers, etc.
• Programming projects where the entire class will collaborate to build a debugger/profiler/visualizer.

Necessary prerequisites

• A strong background in compilers.
• Knowledge of graphics and systems programming
• Very strong programming skills in one or more of C/C++/Java.

Preliminary course structure

1. How do debuggers work?
   • Read papers/books about debuggers and present to the class.
   • Learn Java bytecode.
   • Learn about the Java Debugging Interface (JDI).
   • Learn about debugging in Linux (the ptrace system call).
   • Learn how to manipulate Java bytecode using SandMark and BCEL .
   • Write a small tool to trace/debug Java programs using JDI and/or bytecode manipulation.
   • Learn how to manipulate x86 binaries.
   • Write a small tool to trace/debug C programs using ptrace and/or binary modifications.
   • Investigate current debuggers and present them to the class.
2. How do profilers work?
   • Read papers/books about profilers and present to the class.
   • Learn about the Java Profiling Interface.
   • Learn about profiling in Linux .
   • Write a small tool to profile C programs.
   • Write a small tool to profile Java programs using the Java Profiling Interface.
   • Investigate current profilers and present them to the class.
3. How do program visualizers work?
   • Read papers/books about visualizing software and present to the class.
   • Write a small tool to visualize C and/or Java programs.
   • Using computer game engines for visualization.
   • Investigate current code visualizers and present them to the class.

The second half of the course:

1. Pick a group to work with!
2. Pick a project!
3. Implement the project!
4. Do a presentation to the class!
5. Read more papers to get a more in-depth view of particular topics that interest you.

A list of papers that we might be reading can be found here.

Notes

• Syllabus (PDF, official) (HTML, experimental)
• Assignments
• Programs
• Resources
• Schedule
• Lecture notes:
  • One slide/page
  • Four slides/page
  • Article format
  • Html Note that this feature is experimental. This means that the html version of the lecture notes may differ from the other, official, formats.

Readings - Debuggers

1. A Survey of Support For Implementing Debuggers
   Vern Paxson
2. Playing with ptrace, Part I
3. Playing with ptrace, Part II
4. Practical Data Breakpoints: Design and Implementation
5. Efficient Algorithms for Bidirectional Debugging
   Bob Boothe
6. Fast breakpoints: design and implementation, Peter B. Kessler
   
7. Debugging Operating Systems with Time-Traveling Virtual Machines,
   Samuel T. King, George W. Dunlap, and Peter M. Chen
   
8. Reverse Execution of Java Bytecode,
   JONATHAN J. COOK
9. RELATIVE DEBUGGING USING MULTIPLE PROGRAM VERSIONS, David Abramson and Rok Sosic
   

Readings - Profilers

1. STOOP, The Sable Toolkit for Object-Oriented Profiling ,
   Rhodes Brown, Karel Driesen, John Jorgensen, Laurie J. Hendren, Qin Wang, Clark Verbrugge.
2. gprof: a Call Graph Execution Profiler,
   Susan L. Graham, Peter B. Kessler, Marshall K. McKusick
3. Continuous Profiling: Where Have All the Cycles Gone?
   Jennifer M. Anderson, Lance M. BERC, JEFFREY DEAN, SANJAY GHEMAWAT, MONIKA R. HENZINGER, SHUN-TAK A. LEUNG, RICHARD L. SITES, MARK T. VANDEVOORDE, CARL A. WALDSPURGER, WILLIAM E. WEIHL
4. Java Virtual Machine Profiler Interface ,
   D. Viswanathan and S. Liang
5. JaViz: A client/server Java profiling tool,
   I. H. Kazi, D. P. Jose, B. Ben-Hamida, C. J. Hescott, C. Kwok, J. A. Konstan, D. J. Lilja, and P.-C Yew
6. Comprehensive Profiling Support in the Java Virtual Machine
7. Vertical Profiling: Understanding the Behavior of Object-Oriented Applications ,
   Matthias Hauswirth, Peter F. Sweeney, Amer Diwan, Michael Hind
8. Using Hardware Performance Monitors to Understand the Behavior of Java Applications,
   Peter F. Sweeney, Matthias Hauswirth, Brendon Cahoon, Perry Cheng, Amer Diwan, David Grove, Michael Hind
9. PCT
10. Simple and General Statistical Profiling with PCT
11. Using the SimOS Machine Simulator to Study Complex Computer Systems,
    Mendel Rosenblum, Edouard Bugnion, Scott Devine, and Steve Herrod
12. SimOS
13. Profiling and Tracing in Linux,
    Shende

Readings - Program Visualization

1. Combining Static and Dynamic Data in Code Visualization,
   David Eng