A prototype system for static and dynamic program understanding

A tool called PUNDIT (Program Understanding Investigation Tool) is described. It is a prototype intended to serve as a vehicle for exploring and testing ideas in the area of program understanding; it combines static analysis information with information collected at runtime. The architecture of PUNDIT is described, together with its two main components (the C source analyzer and a graphical user interface). Several of the views provided by the tool are explained, including a high-level structure chart, a dynamic call graph, a control flow graph animated during program execution, a type definition window, and others. By integrating static and dynamic information, the tool provides a more comprehensive understanding of a program as the first step to reengineering or maintaining the application that can be obtained by static analysis alone.