IP Library Granted Patent US 9,678,720
Granted Patent B2
US 9,678,720 · App. 15/090,420 · Granted Jun 13, 2017

Implicit software dependency analysis

Inventors: Joshua George Hale (Oxford, GB); Luke James Cartey (Oxford, GB)
Assignee: Semmle Limited
G06F8/22G06F11/3604
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,678,720
App. No.
15/090,420
Granted
Jun 13, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generated aggregated dependencies between software elements in a code base. One of the methods includes receiving a request to generate implicit dependencies introduced by remote procedure calls in a project. A registration of a remote procedure call is identified, wherein the registration of the remote procedure call specifies a target function and a name for the remote procedure call. An invocation of the remote procedure call using the name for the remote procedure call is identified, wherein the invocation occurs in a source software element of the project. A definition of the target function of the remote procedure call is identified, wherein the target function is defined in a target software element of the project. A new dependency is generated, the new dependency being a dependency from the source software element to the target software element.

Claims (46)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to generate implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files in a project;

identifying, in the project, a source software element that references a runtime configuration file, wherein the runtime configuration file specifies a target function that is invoked at runtime;

identifying, in the project, an invocation that references the runtime configuration file, wherein the invocation occurs in the source software element of the project;

identifying, in the project, a definition of the target function referenced by the runtime configuration file, wherein the target function is defined in a target software element of the project;

generating a new dependency in a raw dependency graph, the new dependency representing an implicit dependency of the source software element on the target software element due to the source software element referencing the runtime configuration file specifying the target function defined in the target software element; and

generating data representing an aggregated dependency graph for a plurality of nodes of a hierarchy graph of software elements in the project, the plurality of nodes comprising a first node and a second node, wherein the aggregated dependency graph is different from the raw dependency graph, including generating an aggregated dependency between the first node in the hierarchy graph and the second node in the hierarchy graph, the aggregated dependency representing the implicit dependency in the raw dependency graph of the source software element on the target software element, wherein the first node or a descendent of the first node in the hierarchy graph represents the source software element, and wherein the second node or a descendent of the second node in the hierarchy graph represents the target software element.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

presenting a dependency graph that includes the new dependency between the source software element and the target software element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the new dependency comprises matching a name of the target function specified in the runtime configuration file with a definition of the target function in the target software element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implicit dependency is a dependency from a source software element to a target software element such that building the source software element would not cause a compile-time or link-time error due to an absence of the target software element.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a user interface presentation that presents the aggregated dependency graph.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request to generate implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files in a project comprises receiving a query that defines an implicit dependency introduced by configuration files in the project.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the runtime configuration file is a configuration file of a dependency injection framework.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the user interface presentation visually distinguishes the implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files from other dependencies in the user interface presentation.

9. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to generate implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files in a project;

identifying, in the project, a source software element that references a runtime configuration file, wherein the runtime configuration file specifies a target function that is invoked at runtime;

identifying, in the project, an invocation that references the runtime configuration file, wherein the invocation occurs in the source software element of the project;

identifying, in the project, a definition of the target function referenced by the runtime configuration file, wherein the target function is defined in a target software element of the project;

generating a new dependency in a raw dependency graph, the new dependency representing an implicit dependency of the source software element on the target software element due to the source software element referencing the runtime configuration file specifying the target function defined in the target software element; and

generating data representing an aggregated dependency graph for a plurality of nodes of a hierarchy graph of software elements in the project, the plurality of nodes comprising a first node and a second node, wherein the aggregated dependency graph is different from the raw dependency graph, including generating an aggregated dependency between the first node in the hierarchy graph and the second node in the hierarchy graph, the aggregated dependency representing the implicit dependency in the raw dependency graph of the source software element on the target software element, wherein the first node or a descendent of the first node in the hierarchy graph represents the source software element, and wherein the second node or a descendent of the second node in the hierarchy graph represents the target software element.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting a dependency graph that includes the new dependency between the source software element and the target software element.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein generating the new dependency comprises matching a name of the target function specified in the runtime configuration file with a definition of the target function in the target software element.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the implicit dependency is a dependency from a source software element to a target software element such that building the source software element would not cause a compile-time or link-time error due to an absence of the target software element.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise providing a user interface presentation that presents the aggregated dependency graph.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein receiving the request to generate implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files in a project comprises receiving a query that defines an implicit dependency introduced by configuration files in the project.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the runtime configuration file is a configuration file of a dependency injection framework.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the user interface presentation visually distinguishes the implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files from other dependencies in the user interface presentation.

17. A computer program product, encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to generate implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files in a project;

identifying, in the project, a source software element that references a runtime configuration file, wherein the runtime configuration file specifies a target function that is invoked at runtime;

identifying, in the project, an invocation that references the runtime configuration file, wherein the invocation occurs in the source software element of the project;

identifying, in the project, a definition of the target function referenced by the runtime configuration file, wherein the target function is defined in a target software element of the project;

generating a new dependency in a raw dependency graph, the new dependency representing an implicit dependency of the source software element on the target software element due to the source software element referencing the runtime configuration file specifying the target function defined in the target software element; and

generating data representing an aggregated dependency graph for a plurality of nodes of a hierarchy graph of software elements in the project, the plurality of nodes comprising a first node and a second node, wherein the aggregated dependency graph is different from the raw dependency graph, including generating an aggregated dependency between the first node in the hierarchy graph and the second node in the hierarchy graph, the aggregated dependency representing the implicit dependency in the raw dependency graph of the source software element on the target software element, wherein the first node or a descendent of the first node in the hierarchy graph represents the source software element, and wherein the second node or a descendent of the second node in the hierarchy graph represents the target software element.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting a dependency graph that includes the new dependency between the source software element and the target software element.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein generating the new dependency comprises matching a name of the target function specified in the runtime configuration file with a definition of the target function in the target software element.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the implicit dependency is a dependency from a source software element to a target software element such that building the source software element would not cause a compile-time or link-time error due to an absence of the target software element.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise providing a user interface presentation that presents the aggregated dependency graph.

22. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein receiving the request to generate implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files in a project comprises receiving a query that defines an implicit dependency introduced by configuration files in the project.

23. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the runtime configuration file is a configuration file of a dependency injection framework.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the user interface presentation visually distinguishes the implicit dependencies introduced by runtime configuration files from other dependencies in the user interface presentation.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2020
From: GITHUB SOFTWARE UK LTD.
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 051710/0252 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 10, 2019
From: SEMMLE LIMITED
To: GITHUB SOFTWARE UK LTD.
Reel/Frame 051244/0305 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2016
From: HALE, JOSHUA GEORGE
To: SEMMLE LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038232/0045 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2016
From: CARTEY, LUKE JAMES
To: SEMMLE LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038232/0119 →
Continuity (3)
Division 14871983 · Sep 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62234939 · Sep 30, 2015
Related Publication 20170090876A1 · Mar 30, 2017