Aiding Maintenance of Database Applications Through Extracting Attribute Dependency Graph

Database is a major component of many software systems. This paper proposes a novel graph called the attribute dependency graph to reveal the dependencies between attributes in a database application and also the programs involved. The authors propose an approach to automatically extract the attribute dependency graph out of a database application from its source code through inter-procedural static program analysis. The extracted information is a straightforward indicator that benefits the maintenance process, particularly for impact analysis on the modifications in a database application. A tool has been developed to implement the proposed approach for PHP-based database applications. Case studies have also been conducted to demonstrate the use of our approach.