Fault Localization in Automated Debugging

• Grant number: 13/24992-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2014
• End date: January 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Computer Science - Computer Systems
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Kon
• Grantee: Higor Amario de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Matemática e Estatística (IME). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/23030-5 - Evaluating the practical use of fault localization techniques, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Debugging is a inherent task in software development process. Testing and debugging consume a significant portion of the time spent during software programming. Automated debugging can colaborate to reduce such costs and to improve software quality. Several fault localization techniques have been proposed. Most of these techniques generates a list with code excerpts ordered by suspiciousness values. However, the evaluation of how developers use these results to search for faults needs to be further studied.Recent results indicate that developers have an "effort budget" associated to the use of a fault localization technique. If a developer does not find the fault within this budget, he change his search strategy. Understanding the developer's localization effort when using a fault localization technique can help to evaluate the practical use of such techniques. This doctoral project aims to study and evaluate how debugging techniques are used in practice and what is the localization effort that developers spend searching for faults when they use automated techniques. Thus we intend to improve fault localization techniques to locate faults within the effort budget and evaluate the factors that influence the results of fault localization techniques, such as multiple faults and the test suite quality. Thus, we intend to contribute with fault localization studies to enable their practical use in developing software.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RIBEIRO, HENRIQUE L.; DE ARAUJO, ROBERTO P. A.; CHAIM, MARCOS L.; DE SOUZA, HIGOR A.; KON, FABIO; IEEE. Jaguar: a spectrum-based fault localization tool for real-world software. 2018 IEEE 11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOFTWARE TESTING, VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION (ICST), v. N/A, p. 6-pg., 2018-01-01. (13/24992-2, 14/23030-5)

DE SOUZA, HIGOR A.; MUTTI, DANILO; CHAIM, MARCOS L.; KON, FABIO. Contextualizing spectrum-based fault localization. INFORMATION AND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY, v. 94, p. 245-261, FEB 2018. (13/24992-2, 14/23030-5)

RIBEIRO, HENRIQUE L.; DE ARAUJO, ROBERTO P. A.; CHAIM, MARCOS L.; DE SOUZA, HIGOR A.; KON, FABIO; IEEE. Evaluating data-flow coverage in spectrum-based fault localization. 2019 13TH ACM/IEEE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON EMPIRICAL SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND MEASUREMENT (ESEM 2019), v. N/A, p. 11-pg., 2019-01-01. (14/50937-1, 14/23030-5, 13/24992-2)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SOUZA, Higor Amario de. Assessment of spectrum-based fault localization for practical use. 2018. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Matemática e Estatística (IME/SBI) São Paulo.