CS 641 meeting -*- Outline -*-

* Introduction
	write the name of the course on the board.

** Who
	introduce self and meet everyone
	have them write names on board

** what is program analysis?

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        WHAT IS PROGRAM ANALYSIS?

Def: *program analysis* is
predicting statically safe approximations
to the set of configurations or behaviors
that may occur dynamically.

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** why study program analysis (course spec)

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        WHY PROGRAM ANALYSIS?

Automatic understanding of programs is
 - important
     + optimizing compilers
     + program development tools
     + formal verification:
        - safety critical systems
        - business critical systems
     + research in programming languages
 - impossible, in general
    + safe approximations

Basic ideas:
 - compute abstractions
 - use in transformations

Goals:
  - little or no input from programmers
     ==> practical, usable
  - correctness
     ==> usable "under the covers"
  - efficient (at compile time):
     - time
     - space

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        Program analysis encompasses the core areas in the
        theory of programming language research, including type
        systems and program optimization and reasoning.

        Generally speaking, the bias is towards having no programmer
        input, which tends to lead to fairly global (whole-program)
        analyses.

*** useful ideas
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      MAIN IDEAS OR THEMES

- conservatism:
   "Err on the safe side!"

- efficiency from approximation:
   "Trade precision for efficiency!"

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        Q:  What's an example of the first idea from type checking?

        Q:  Suppose we're interested in numerical precision
            (error estimation),
            what's an example of the second idea in this case?

*** practicality
	These ideas are the heart of many compilers and language systems

        e.g., abstract interpretation used in verifying Airbus software
              type systems and other static analysis in JML compiler

*** widely used
        Many papers assume one understands these ideas

        Lots of different applications including:

           - security (information flow analysis)
           - side effects or purity
           - field accesses
           - potential for variables to be null
           - array indexes out of bounds

*** it's new for me
     - want to see how this compares to more type systems,
       operational semantics, logic programming

     - the connections between the different kinds of analysis are
       interesting, and provide a unifying set of ideas

     Q: what about the material interests you?

** Plan of course (syllabus)
	overview, survey
	dataflow analysis, including structural operational semantics
	abstract interpretation
        type and effect systems
        constraint based analysis
        application to object-oriented languages?
	summary and evaluation at the end

	Q: Would you make any changes to the plan?

** Objectives
*** meta
        - get you to think critically
                Q: What kind of questions should you be asking?
                        limitations? utility?
        - teach you some semantics and formal methods
*** normal
    In one sentence, the main objective is that you will have a deep,
    working knowledge of program analysis.

    Focus on procedural, sequential programs (WHILE language),
          but will extend to other areas.

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        OBJECTIVES

- Explain the goals of program analysis,
  how it can be used,
  as well as its advantages,
   disadvantages, and limits.

- Judge and improve the quality
  of various kinds of program analyses.

- Explain and generalize the mathematical
  ideas that are used in various program
  analysis techniques.

- Apply program analysis techniques
  to calculate various properties
  of small programs.

- Use and explain operational semantic
  descriptions of programming languages.

- Prove the soundness of an analysis
  with respect to the operational
  semantics of a language.

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** How I'll run the course

*** overview
	informal and friendly, I'm going to try not to lecture too much

	lecture meetings: get old homework back (you keep it),
				discuss homework, if any (some put on board),
				hand in homework
				discuss next topic (working examples)

        You need to read ahead or at least keep up in the reading.

	homework: explore the material, perhaps generalize or apply it
                     (esp. to OOP, AOP, components, security, etc.)
                Can work alone or with others.

	grading: based on evidence, participation, project, final oral exam
		  I'll give comments on homework, grades if you want them
	pace: we'll try to uncover and explore carefully
			want deep understanding of that material (semantics)
		for homework, we'll be flexible,

*** red tape
	prerequisites (531 and 541)

	book: Principles of Program Analysis, by Flemming Nielson,
	Hanne Riis Nielson, and Chris Hankin (Springer-Verlag,
	1999). ISBN 3-540-65410-0.  

        The textbook is on reserve.

** summary
	Q: any other questions about the course?