Construction of Activity Diagrams from Java Execution Traces

Abstract

The aim of the work is to construct an activity diagram from the execution trace of Java programs to provide better program comprehension through visualisation. The execution trace is obtained during run-time when the Java program is debugged and the Java Interactive Visualisation Environment (JIVE) produces the details corresponding to the execution. The information from the trace is observed to develop an algorithm for the activity diagram construction. The reliance on PlantUML syntax has significantly guided in activity diagram notations used. Several basic programs containing the different constructs in Java are chosen for the analysis of the execution trace, and the events generated for these are studied to develop the algorithm. The execution trace is a collection of various fields which retrieves valuable information regarding the execution. The fields deliver relevant information regarding the control flow of the program and has majorly contributed for the diagram construction. However, the execution trace does not reveal particulars of some of the constructs in Java program and hence constructs have been categorised into two. The available constructs’ execution traces are taken and studied, whereas the unavailable ones are kept aside. The algorithm thus developed is allowed to test with multiple programs to identify its correctness.