Points-to analysis for Java using annotated constraints

A Rountev, A Milanova, BG Ryder - ACM SIGPLAN Notices, 2001 - dl.acm.org
ACM SIGPLAN Notices, 2001dl.acm.org
The goal of point-to analysis for Java is to determine the set of objects pointed by a
reference variable or a reference object field. This information has a wide variety of client
applications in optimizing compilers and software engineering tools. In this paper we
present a point-to analysis for Java based on Andersen's point-to analysis for C [5]. We
implement the analysis by using a constraint-based approach which employs annotated
inclusion constraints. Constraint annotations allow us model precisely and efficiently the …
The goal of point-to analysis for Java is to determine the set of objects pointed by a reference variable or a reference object field. This information has a wide variety of client applications in optimizing compilers and software engineering tools. In this paper we present a point-to analysis for Java based on Andersen's point-to analysis for C [5]. We implement the analysis by using a constraint-based approach which employs annotated inclusion constraints. Constraint annotations allow us model precisely and efficiently the semantics of virtual calls and the flow of values through object fields. By solving systems of annotated inclusion constraints, we have been albe to perform practical and precies points-to analysis for Java
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