Iterative delta debugging

  • Authors:
  • Cyrille Artho

  • Affiliations:
  • Research Center for Information Security (RCIS), AIST, Tokyo, Japan

  • Venue:
  • International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer (STTT) - HVC 2008
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

Automated debugging attempts to locate the reason for a failure. Delta debugging minimizes the difference between two inputs, where one input is processed correctly while the other input causes a failure, using a series of test runs to determine the outcome of applied changes. Delta debugging is applicable to inputs or to the program itself, as long as a correct version of the program exists. However, complex errors are often masked by other program defects, making it impossible to obtain a correct version of the program through delta debugging in such cases. Iterative delta debugging extends delta debugging and removes a series of defects step by step, until the originally unresolved defect is isolated. The method is automated and managed to localize a bug in some real-life examples.