Program slicing: a computer aided programming technique

One of the most difficult tasks facing a programmer when given a problem to solve is how to decompose the problem into a set of smaller and simpler sub-problems. The authors describe a new technique called program slicing, which is based on the observation that good programs are often constructed by taking a basic framework and enriching it in a number of passes with further information. The passes may be regarded as `slices´ which are `overlaid´ to form the final program. The concept of program slicing is illustrated by considering a very simple one-pass compiler. The application of the method to a wider class of problems is then considered. Finally the authors describe how they are making the method computer assisted by developing a program slicing development environment