Program Analysis
Credits: 4
Pre-requisites: Strong Java Programming, Data Structures.
Post Condition (on student capability after successfully completing the course):
At the end of the course the student should be able to:
 Specify properties of interest using various formalisms.
 Apply static analysis techniques including dataflow analysis and develop static
analyses with the help of tools such as Soot.
 Develop aspects and use runtime monitoring tools such as JavaMOP to analyze
programs dynamically.
Brief Description
Ensuring program correctness can be very challenging. Programmers depend on testing to
build some confidence in the expected behavior of programs. Although testing is useful,
the complexity as well as the criticality of modern software demands more rigorous
techniques, in addition to testing to ensure software correctness. The properties that
programs need to satisfy vary in terms of expressiveness from simple predicates that
check the program states at specific points to regular expressions and context-free
grammars that check the legality of traversed program paths.
In this course, the students will learn about static analysis techniques, i.e., the techniques
that can be applied to programs without running the programs as well as about dynamic
analysis (or runtime monitoring) techniques that analyze programs during runtime. The
students will learn about the strengths and weaknesses of both techniques and explore
ways to combine them to increase their effectiveness.
In the static analysis part of the course, the students will learn about dataflow analysis in
detail. In addition, they will learn about abstract interpretation and will get introduced to
more precise and computationally intensive path-sensitive techniques based on symbolic
execution. We will primarily use Java as programming language and "Soot" as static
analysis tool.
In the dynamic analysis part, the students will learn to specify properties of interest and
primarily use "JavaMOP" to build runtime monitors for those properties. In the process,
they will learn to develop “aspects” used to instrument and monitor programs. In
addition, the students will get introduced to various runtime monitoring tool
architectures.
In the second half of the course, the students will work on a class project in teams of two
to develop either a challenging and novel analysis, which could be either static or
dynamic, or hybrid. They will present their work in the class and will submit a project
report.
Week
Topics Covered
1
2
3
Introduction - Overview
Static Analysis – Fundamentals
Static Analysis – Dataflow Analysis
4
5
6
Path-sensitive analysis: Symbolic Execution
Runtime Monitoring: Property Specification
Runtime Monitoring: Tool Architectures
7
8
9
Monitoring Performance and Challenges
Monitoring Applications and Extensions
Hybrid program analysis
Written Assignment
10
11
Abstract Interpretation
Advanced analysis topic
Presentation
Project Presentation
Project Presentation
Class project report
12
13
Nature of assignments / labs
and (expected hours of work)
or
Programming
assignment
develop a dataflow analysis
Written Assignment
Programming
assignment
develop runtime monitors
to
to
Project
Evaluation
For assessing the performance of students, the course will have written and programming
assignments, in-class quizzes/tests, a mid-sem exam, and a class project. Weights of each
of these elements could be:
 Class Participation: 5%
 Written Assignments and Tests/quizzes: 20%
 Mid-sem Exam: 15%
 Class Project: 30%
 Programming Assignments: 30%
Grading Scheme
Grading will be done according to the following formula:
Final marks = class project marks * .30 + programming assignments marks * .30 +
written assignment and quizzes marks * 0.20 + midterm exam marks * 0.15 +
participation *.05
Texts/Other Resources
There is no textbook for this course. Reference material will be provided from time to
time in the class. In addition, following reference books would be useful.
 "Principles of Program Analysis" by Nielson, Nielson and Hankin.
 “Software Testing and Analysis: Process, Principles and Techniques” by Pezze
and Young.