ADG: Annotated Dependency Graphs for Software Understanding

Dependency graphs such as call and data usage graphs are often used to study software systems and perform impact analysis during maintenance activities. These graphs show the present structure of the software system ( .g. In a compiler, anOptimizer function calling aParser function). They fail to reveal details about the structure of the system that are needed to gain a better understanding. For example, traditional call graphs cannot give the rationale behind anOptimizer function callingParser function. In this position paper, we advocate a new view on dependency graphs – Annotated Dependency Graphs (ADG). ADG can assist maintainers understand better the current structure of large software systems. We show an example of using an ADG to studyPostgres, a large DBMS open source software system.

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