G-2012-19
ACRE: An Automated Aspect Creator for Testing C++ Applications
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We present ACRE, an Automatic aspeCt cREator, to use aspect-oriented programming to test multi-platform software programs written in C++. ACRE allows developers without knowledge of aspect programming to use aspects for testing purposes and to test their programs without modifying their source code. ACRE uses a nonintrusive domain-specific language (DSL) which statements testers insert into the source code to describe the aspect to be used. The presence of DSL statements in the code does not modify the program's compilation and behavior. ACRE parses the DSL and automatically generates appropriate aspects that are then woven into the source code to identify bugs such as memory leaks or incorrect implementation. Testers can also add or remove tests easily. Using an aspect generated by ACRE, we find a memory leak in a complex multi-platform C++ software program, NOMAD, used in both industry and research.
Published April 2012 , 17 pages