Runtime error detection is a
software verification method that analyzes a software application as it executes and reports
defects that are detected during that execution. It can be applied during
unit testing
In computer programming, unit testing is a software testing method by which individual units of source code—sets of one or more computer program modules together with associated control data, usage procedures, and operating procedures&md ...
,
component testing,
integration testing
Integration testing (sometimes called integration and testing, abbreviated I&T) is the phase in software testing in which individual software modules are combined and tested as a group. Integration testing is conducted to evaluate the complianc ...
,
system testing
System testing is testing conducted on a complete integrated system to evaluate the system's compliance with its specified requirements.
System testing takes, as its input, all of the integrated components that have passed integration testing. ...
(automated/scripted or manual), or
penetration test
A penetration test, colloquially known as a pen test or ethical hacking, is an authorized simulated cyberattack on a computer system, performed to evaluate the security of the system; this is not to be confused with a vulnerability assessment. T ...
ing.
Runtime error detection can identify defects that manifest themselves only at runtime (for example, file overwrites) and zeroing in on the root causes of the application crashing, running slowly, or behaving unpredictably. Defects commonly detected by runtime error detection include:
*
Race condition
A race condition or race hazard is the condition of an electronics, software, or other system where the system's substantive behavior is dependent on the sequence or timing of other uncontrollable events. It becomes a bug when one or more of t ...
s
*
Exceptions
*
Resource leak
In computer science, a resource leak is a particular type of resource consumption by a computer program where the program does not release resources it has acquired. This condition is normally the result of a bug in a program. Typical resource lea ...
s
*
Memory leak
In computer science, a memory leak is a type of resource leak that occurs when a computer program incorrectly manages memory allocations in a way that Computer memory, memory which is no longer needed is not released. A memory leak may also happe ...
s
*
Security attack vulnerabilities (e.g.,
SQL injection
In computing, SQL injection is a code injection technique used to attack data-driven applications, in which malicious SQL statements are inserted into an entry field for execution (e.g. to dump the database contents to the attacker). SQL inj ...
)
*
Null pointers
*
Uninitialized memory
*
Buffer overflow
In information security and programming, a buffer overflow, or buffer overrun, is an anomaly whereby a program, while writing data to a buffer, overruns the buffer's boundary and overwrites adjacent memory locations.
Buffers are areas of memory ...
s
Runtime error detection tools can only detect errors in the executed control flow of the application.
MUST: A Scalable Approach to Runtime Error Detection in MPI Programs
by Tobias Hilbrich, Martin Schulz, Bronis R. de Supinski, Matthias S. Müller, in Tools for High Performance Computing 2009
See also
* Development Testing
* Software testing
Software testing is the act of examining the artifacts and the behavior of the software under test by validation and verification. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to apprecia ...
* Memory debugger
Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...
* BoundsChecker
BoundsChecker is a memory checking and API call validation tool used for C++ software development with Microsoft Visual C++. It was created by NuMega in the early 1990s. When NuMega was purchased by Compuware in 1997, BoundsChecker became part o ...
* Runtime verification
References
Software testing
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