Survey of Compiler Testing

PhD Qualifying Examination


Title: "Survey of Compiler Testing"

by

Mr. Dongwei XIAO


Abstract:

Compilers enable the development of complex software by translating high-level
languages into machine code. To date, compilers are used in various sectors of
the industry, ranging from entertainment to more critical domains like airplane
control systems. However, compilers are not perfect, and they can introduce
various bugs in the generated code. In particular, bugs that lead to compiler
crashes may be exploited by attackers to gain unwanted privileges, while
performance bugs in the generated executables can cause accidents in real-time
systems like driving control systems, in which a tiny gap in the execution time
can mean the difference between life and death. As such, it is crucial to
detect and fix bugs in compilers before they can cause problems. Compiler
testing is a promising approach to uncover bugs in compilers. It aims to
evaluate the correctness of the generated code by applying a set of test cases
to the compiler and deciding the correctness of the executables based on
carefully designed testing oracles. Different categories of bugs require
different test case generation techniques and testing oracles. It is thus
important to understand the existing techniques to detect different types of
bugs in compilers.

In this survey, I aim to provide a comprehensive overview of testing techniques
for compiler bug detection. I will introduce existing methods to detect four
categories of compiler bugs, namely, crashing bugs, logic bugs, performance
bugs, and security bugs. I will also cover other topics in compiler testing,
such as test case prioritization and reduction. This survey can benefit users
and developers who are interested in using and improving compilers.


Date:                   Monday, 11 December 2023

Time:                   1:30pm - 3:30pm

Venue:                  Room 5566
                        lifts 27/28

Committee Members:      Dr. Shuai Wang (Supervisor)
                        Dr. Minghao Cheng (Chairperson)
                        Dr. Lionel Parreaux
                        Dr. Dongdong She


**** ALL are Welcome ****