Visualization method and system for dynamically displaying operations of a program

Abstract

A method and system of identifying operations of one or more computer programs include generating a representation of the programs as a visual display of graphs and manipulating the visual display while the program is executed. The manipulation of the display provides a visual indication of threads of execution of the events. In one selectable implementation, the threads of execution are indicated by forming traces that link nodes of a graph, where the nodes are representative of the sequentially occurring events. The dynamic visualization at run-time may be enabled by augmenting the source code of the computer program with stubs that uniquely identify blocks and lines of source code. Each executable event within the program may be uniquely associated with a stub that forms a message to a run-time visualizer as the executable event is triggered during run-time. The dynamic visualization may be set in a speed-controllable continuous execution mode or in a step-by-step execution mode. Optionally, the user can collapse, or cause to disappear, selected portions of the graph of nodes, thereby reducing the processing overhead imposed by the system. The user may also set a breakpoint at a particular node, so that the program stops when the execution path of a thread reaches the breakpoint. A user may associate one or more nodes with the launching of an external application, thereby augmenting the functionality of an existing program or programs at run-time, without requiring recompilation of the programs. Static visualization is also enabled.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.