Localization of design concepts in legacy systems

Complete automation of design recovery of large systems is a desirable but impractical goal due to complexity and size issues, so current research efforts focus on redocumentation and partial design recovery. Pattern matching lies at the center of any design recovery system. In the context of a larger project to develop an integrated reverse engineering environment, we are developing a framework for performing clone detection, code localization, and plan recognition. This paper discusses a plan localization and selection strategy based on a dynamic programming function that records the matching process and identifies parts of the plan and code fragment that are most “similar”. Program features used for matching are currently based on data flow, control flow, and structural properties. The matching model uses a transition network and allows for the detection of insertions and deletions, and it is targeted for legacy C-based systems