@(#)r3wOverview.htm 1.2 - 04/06/04

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RECON3 Overview

Software Engineers frequently need to work with code written by others, for example when enhancing or fixing an existing program, when attempting to use an unfamiliar class library, or when integrating several software products to produce a new system. Working with other people's code is difficult, since the documentation rarely tells you everything you need to know. Debuggers can be useful, but are difficult to use on large systems unless you have a starting point; it takes too long to step through all the code to find the problem.

RECON3 instead lets the Software Engineer generate and analyze traces of execution from the program. The toolset provides for:

  1. Instrumenting the source code for a Software Engineer's program (which we call the target program). The Software Engineer may also insert instrumentation statements by hand. When the target program is compiled and executed with test data, each instrumentation statement triggers a trace event.
  2. Monitoring the trace events and generating trace records for analysis. The Software Engineer may use a RECON3 trace monitor to turn tracing on or off in different parts of the target program or to control tracing of different kinds of events.
  3. Analyzing or displaying the trace records to better understand the target program.
RECON3 Overview
RECON3 Tools Overview

The tools are written in either standard ANSI C or in Java. While specific requirements for each tool vary, in general you will need a recent version of the Java Platform for your operating system, a compiler for ANSI C or C++, and a compiler for the language of your target program.

RECON3 distributions are provided for Unix and Win32 operating systems. These distributions can be run from the command line, user-written scripts or the Recon3 Graphical User Interface. While some tools are provided in executable form for Win32, source code is also provided and you are welcome to modify the tools to fit your needs. We ask only that credit be given to the UWF in any documentation or publications.

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Email suggestions or questions to:
Norman Wilde