PhD

Supervisors: Prof. Mark Harman and Dr. Nicolas Gold
Research group: CREST
Topic: Identifying High-Level Dependence Structures Using Slice-Based Dependence Analysis

Overview

This thesis presented a framework of the possible combination of approaches for low-level program slicing-based dependence analysis and high-level concept assignment. Three combination techniques, concept extension, concept abbreviation and concept refinement, are presented and empirical studied to address the problem of program maintenance. The ten C subject programs are studied and more than 600 concept bindings are identified. Dependence based metrics are defined to evaluate three techniques that provides evidence of both advantages and disadvantages.


I have passed my viva on 9th February 2009 and submitted the final version of my thesis in March 2009.

The thesis has been accepted by ICSM09 Doctoral Symposium. You can obtain an electronic copy of the thesis from here. Four pages ICSM09 submission Full Thesis


Reaseach

  • * Search-based Software Engineering and Testing

    My present work on software engineering includes regression test case prioritisation, test case generation using genetic algorithms and empirical investigations of software.

    My publication of Search Algorithms for Regression Test Case Prioritisation on TSE discusses the test case prioritisation using metaheuritic algorithms in regression test based on test cases coverage information. The original subject programs and their test suites were made available by the SIR (Software-artifact Infrastructure Repository). The test cases coverage information measured by Cantata++ are available here. Please refer to the readme.txt file included in the zipped archive for further details.

    Download the coverage information


  • * Program Slicing and Merging

    My present work on program slicing concentrates on empirical studies of new slice-base analyzes and on generating a better technique by combining program slicing and domain level techniques.


  • * State-based Model Slicing and Testing

    My interest in State-based Model Slicing and Testing has focused on developing algorithms, methods and techniques for scaling down the size and complexity of a model on both theoretical level and empirical level.