Program Analysis (an Appetizer)

TL;DR

This book provides an accessible introduction to program analysis using program graphs, aimed at students, and simplifies complex concepts from advanced texts to enhance understanding.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified approach to program analysis using program graphs, making the subject more accessible for students compared to traditional flow chart models.

Findings

Uses program graphs instead of flow charts for clarity

Gradually replaces advanced material with elementary concepts

Enhances accessibility for computer science students

Abstract

This book is an introduction to program analysis that is meant to be considerably more elementary than our advanced book Principles of Program Analysis (Springer, 2005). Rather than using flow charts as the model of programs, the book follows our introductory book Formal Methods an Appetizer (Springer, 2019) using program graphs as the model of programs. In our experience this makes the underlying ideas more accessible to our computer science and computer engineering students on the master course 02242: Program Analysis at The Technical University of Denmark. Here we have gradually replaced our use of the more elementary parts of Principles of Program Analysis with material from the current book.