Detecting errors for function calls with an implicit receiver object

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions for execution on a processor, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the processor to:

• identify, by a processor, a set of functions in computer code in a programming language for execution by a computer, the programming language of the computer code permitting the use of receiver objects for functions in the programming language without explicitly specifying the receiver object;
• generate, by the processor, a callgraph for the set of functions in the computer code, the callgraph identifying a set of function call sites in the set of functions and for each function call site a set of called functions that could be invoked from the function call site during execution of the computer code by the computer, wherein the callgraph is generated for each function call site by identifying possible functions for the call site and iteratively determining additional possible functions based on the identified possible functions;
• identify, by the processor, a set of receiver functions that recite a receiver object in the function;
• identify, by the processor, from the set of function call sites, a set of candidate function call sites that include a receiver function of the set of receiver functions in the set of called functions identified in the callgraph for the function call site;
• determine whether each candidate function call site in the set of candidate function call sites specifies a receiver object parameter;
• and
• for each candidate function call site, identify, by the processor, an error in the computer code at each candidate function call site when the candidate function call site does not specify a receiver object parameter.

A system comprising:

• a processor configured to execute instructions;
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions causing the processor to:
• identify a set of functions in computer code in a programming language for execution by a computer, the programming language of the computer code permitting the use of receiver objects for functions in the programming language without explicitly specifying the receiver object;
• generate a callgraph for the set of functions in the computer code, the callgraph identifying a set of function call sites in the set of functions and for each function call site a set of called functions that could be invoked from the function call site during execution of the computer code by the computer, wherein the callgraph is generated for each function call site by identifying possible functions for the call site and iteratively determining additional possible functions based on the identified possible functions;
• identify a set of receiver functions that recite a receiver object in the function;
• identify, from the set of function call sites, a set of candidate function call sites that include a receiver function of the set of receiver functions in the set of called functions identified in the callgraph for the function call site;
• determine whether each candidate function call site in the set of candidate function call sites specifies a receiver object parameter;
• and
• for each candidate function call site, identify an error in the computer code at each candidate function call site when the candidate function call site does not specify a receiver object parameter.