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United States Patent
Methods, systems, and computer program products for identifying computer program source code constructs

Patent Number: 7,627,861
Date of Patent: 1 December 2009
Inventors: Smith; Jason McColm (Raleigh, NC), Stotts; Paul David (Pittsboro, NC)
Assignee: The University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC)
Appl. No.: 11/003,841
Filed: 3 December 2004
Int. Cl.: G06F 9/45 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl.: 717/144; 717/137; 717/143
46 Claims

Abstract
Methods, systems, and computer program products for identifying computer source code constructs are disclosed. According to one method, computer source code is converted to a format suitable for an automated inference engine. The automated inference engine receives as inputs the converted source code, a set of elemental design patterns defining patterns to be identified, and a set of rules defining relationships between patterns. The automated inference engine outputs proofs indicative of patterns present in the source code. The proofs may be converted to a source code pattern report.