SmPL: A Domain-Specific Language for Specifying Collateral Evolutions in Linux Device Drivers

Yoann Padioleau; Julia Laetitia Lawall; Gilles Muller

doi:doi:10.1016/j.entcs.2006.07.022

SmPL: A Domain-Specific Language for Specifying Collateral Evolutions in Linux Device Drivers

Yoann Padioleau, Julia Laetitia Lawall, Gilles Muller

Department of Computer Science

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Collateral evolutions are a pervasive problem in large-scale software development. Such evolutions occur when an evolution that affects the interface of a generic library entails modifications, i.e., collateral evolutions, in all library clients. Performing these collateral evolutions requires identifying the affected files and modifying all of the code fragments in these files that in some way depend on the changed interface.

We have studied the collateral evolution problem in the context of Linux device drivers. Currently, collateral evolutions in Linux are mostly done manually using a text editor, possibly with the help of tools such as grep. The large number of Linux drivers, however, implies that this approach is time-consuming and unreliable, leading to subtle errors when modifications are not done consistently.

In this paper, we propose a transformation language, SmPL, to specify collateral evolutions. Because Linux programmers are accustomed to exchanging, reading, and manipulating program modifications in terms of patches, we build our language around the idea and syntax of a patch, extending patches to semantic patches.

Udgivelsesdato: January 3

Original language	English
Journal	Electronic Notes in Theoretical Computer Science
Volume	166
Pages (from-to)	47-62
DOIs	https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.entcs.2006.07.022
Publication status	Published - 2007

Keywords

Faculty of Science
Linux
device drivers
collateral evolutions
domain-specific languages

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Cite this

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title = "SmPL: A Domain-Specific Language for Specifying Collateral Evolutions in Linux Device Drivers",

abstract = "Collateral evolutions are a pervasive problem in large-scale software development. Such evolutions occur when an evolution that affects the interface of a generic library entails modifications, i.e., collateral evolutions, in all library clients. Performing these collateral evolutions requires identifying the affected files and modifying all of the code fragments in these files that in some way depend on the changed interface.We have studied the collateral evolution problem in the context of Linux device drivers. Currently, collateral evolutions in Linux are mostly done manually using a text editor, possibly with the help of tools such as grep. The large number of Linux drivers, however, implies that this approach is time-consuming and unreliable, leading to subtle errors when modifications are not done consistently.In this paper, we propose a transformation language, SmPL, to specify collateral evolutions. Because Linux programmers are accustomed to exchanging, reading, and manipulating program modifications in terms of patches, we build our language around the idea and syntax of a patch, extending patches to semantic patches. Udgivelsesdato: January 3",

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author = "Yoann Padioleau and Lawall, {Julia Laetitia} and Gilles Muller",

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AU - Padioleau, Yoann

AU - Lawall, Julia Laetitia

AU - Muller, Gilles

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PY - 2007

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N2 - Collateral evolutions are a pervasive problem in large-scale software development. Such evolutions occur when an evolution that affects the interface of a generic library entails modifications, i.e., collateral evolutions, in all library clients. Performing these collateral evolutions requires identifying the affected files and modifying all of the code fragments in these files that in some way depend on the changed interface.We have studied the collateral evolution problem in the context of Linux device drivers. Currently, collateral evolutions in Linux are mostly done manually using a text editor, possibly with the help of tools such as grep. The large number of Linux drivers, however, implies that this approach is time-consuming and unreliable, leading to subtle errors when modifications are not done consistently.In this paper, we propose a transformation language, SmPL, to specify collateral evolutions. Because Linux programmers are accustomed to exchanging, reading, and manipulating program modifications in terms of patches, we build our language around the idea and syntax of a patch, extending patches to semantic patches. Udgivelsesdato: January 3

AB - Collateral evolutions are a pervasive problem in large-scale software development. Such evolutions occur when an evolution that affects the interface of a generic library entails modifications, i.e., collateral evolutions, in all library clients. Performing these collateral evolutions requires identifying the affected files and modifying all of the code fragments in these files that in some way depend on the changed interface.We have studied the collateral evolution problem in the context of Linux device drivers. Currently, collateral evolutions in Linux are mostly done manually using a text editor, possibly with the help of tools such as grep. The large number of Linux drivers, however, implies that this approach is time-consuming and unreliable, leading to subtle errors when modifications are not done consistently.In this paper, we propose a transformation language, SmPL, to specify collateral evolutions. Because Linux programmers are accustomed to exchanging, reading, and manipulating program modifications in terms of patches, we build our language around the idea and syntax of a patch, extending patches to semantic patches. Udgivelsesdato: January 3

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