Bytecode generation, Source code mappings, JCov, Future

[Robert Field]

I ported JCov to java.lang.instrument (a fully Java API) not to JVM TI 
(a native API).  And it is now in active use internal to Sun.  There 
were plans to make it open source, but I haven't heard anything about 
this being done -- though I don't track the project anymore.

I terms of character position, this is something that has been actively 
requested for years -- it would need to be implemented by javac.  This 
is needed for tools like debuggers, profilers, coverage analysis, etc.  
But it such an interface has not been formally defined.  javac does have 
or did have an unofficial mode for generating character position info 
(for JCov, as you mention), but I am not familiar with it or its 
status.  Compiler folk...

-Robert


Uday Dhanikonda wrote:
> Alex
>
> There was an effort by Robert recently to rewrite JCov using JVM TI.
>
> Robert can you comment on this.
>
> Thanks
> Uday
>
> Alex Rau wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I've searched the web and asked at forum.sun.com but my answer 
>> regarding the javac compiler couldn't be answered yet. so here we go 
>> with a rational first:
>>
>> Rational: I'd like to achieve the following: The byte code created 
>> with javac should not only contain line number information in debug 
>> mode, but additionally I want to track exactly which statement 
>> (including column information as there can be multiple statements in 
>> one source code line) leads to a certain bytecode instruction or a 
>> set of instructions. I strongly need this kind of functionality in 
>> javac as the project I'm working on is settled in the testing area 
>> (mutation testing in java on bytecode level  which you can imagine as 
>> some kind of (beta) code coverage software with a different and IMHO 
>> superior technique - http://retroduction.org for more details if you 
>> are interested). The software must be able to report mutated 
>> *statements* which means that line informations are insufficient.
>>
>> My Question is: in older JDK's there was something called JCov which 
>> enhanced byte code with additional information regarding which 
>> statements finally led to a/multiple bytecode instruction(s). I 
>> stumbled upon this while debugging javac when I wanted to learn it's 
>> design/code. I think it's mostly what I need - however the JCov 
>> switch is a hidden feature. It was "more" public in JDK 1.2 and was 
>> pretended to have been ported to the JVMPI interface later. However I 
>> did not find where the port should have been integrated - I'm no 
>> JVMPI (and JVMTI) guru. Honestly I doubt that something similar is in 
>> the JVM(P/T)I toolset...
>>
>> So perhaps someone has more knowledge about JCov and what happened to 
>> it. Furthermore I'd like to push a discussion on whether this would 
>> be a candidate for the kitchen sink (no JLS changes, just internal) 
>> with the goal to implement the above described functionality 
>> *including a supported and public interface* (not a hidden feature 
>> anymore). The first benefit could then obviously be that javac could 
>> be mutation tested ;) Furthermore other Java developers would have 
>> solid information and documentation about this API instead of relying 
>> on mostly unknown and hidden features.
>>
>> Best Regards,
>>
>>  Alex
>>
>