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Source model analysis using the JJTraveler visitor combinator framework
Author(s) -
van Deursen Arie,
Visser Joost
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
software: practice and experience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1097-024X
pISSN - 0038-0644
DOI - 10.1002/spe.616
Subject(s) - combinatory logic , visitor pattern , computer science , cobol , programming language , control flow , software engineering , visualization , abstract syntax , world wide web , semantics (computer science) , artificial intelligence
Program understanding tools manipulate program representations, such as abstract syntax trees, control‐flow graphs, or data‐flow graphs. This paper deals with the use of visitor combinators to conduct such manipulations. Visitor combinators are an extension of the well‐known visitor design pattern. They are small, reusable classes that carry out specific visiting steps. They can be composed in different constellations to build more complex visitors. We evaluate the expressiveness, reusability, ease of development, and applicability of visitor combinators to the construction of program understanding tools. To that end, we conduct a case study in the use of visitor combinators for control‐flow analysis and visualization as used in a commercial Cobol program understanding tool. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.