Dynamic program slicing (Q1110308)

A dynamic program slice is an executable subset of the original program that produces the same computations on a subset of selected variables and inputs. It differs from the static slice [\textit{M. Weiser}, IEEE Trans. Software Eng. SE-10, 352-357 (1984; Zbl 0552.68004)] in that it is entirely defined on the basis of a computation. The two main advantages are the following: Arrays and dynamic data structures can be handled more precisely and the size of slice can be significantly reduced, leading to a finer localization of the fault. The approach is being investigated as a possible extension of the debugging capabilities of STAD, a system recently developed by the authors for testing and debugging.