Approach to detecting types inconsistency errors in a program code in dynamic languages
Abstract
The paper deals with detection of defects in a program code written in dynamic languages. At first, overview of static analyzers for programs in Python, Ruby and JavaScript is done. After this, the paper shows that most of existing tools are not able to detect entire class of defects: types inconsistency errors. Such errors are defined, the paper proves that the errors are prevailing and rather critical in the opinion of software developers. It presents an approach to type inference for dynamic languages and to implementation of checkers based on output from type inference. Concept of defect trace is introduced and construction of such trace is described then.
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Review
For citations:
Bronshteyn I.E. Approach to detecting types inconsistency errors in a program code in dynamic languages. Proceedings of the Institute for System Programming of the RAS (Proceedings of ISP RAS). 2013;25:67-84. (In Russ.)
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