STAD

Click here to Download STAD and its User Manual (Stad_User_Guide.doc). This version of STAD uses
the Turbo Pascal command line compiler only. It is very easy to use as described
in Stad_User_Guide.doc. However, the user will have to use an editor of his/her choice
(e.g. Notepad) and, to compile and run her program independently of STAD,
will have to use the command line compiler tpc.exe.

STAD,   System for Testing And Debugging, is a unique experimental system for
software static analysis, strutcural("white box") testing and debugging. The philosophy
underlining its design is the conviction that to achieve high level of software
reliability, an integrated system is needed that supports a variety of verification
tools and methods.

STAD supports the following functions:

• Static Analysis, which provides some answers to
  the question
  "What can you tell about the program by analyzing its text, without having it executed? "
  
• Dynamic Analysis, which provides some answers
  to the question
  
  "How good is your testing ?"
  
  Those answers are given in terms of "Coverage Criteria", which in a nutshell,
  tell you how thoroughly you have exercised some "Required elements" in the code.
  These criteria are the following:
  
  
  • Statement (instruction) Coverage
  • Branch Coverage
  • Definition-Use Chains Coverage
  • U-Context Coverage
  • L-Context Coverage
  
  
  

The first two criteria are defined in terms of the control flow
in the program while the remaining two are defined in terms of data flow.

Also, the Profile of each coverage criterion, i.e., the frequency of execution
of the Required Elements involved, is displayed. You can use that data for statistical
analysis of your program.

The TRACE feature of STAD allows the user to store the history of program execution in a file for further
analysis needed, say, in debugging.