AFramework To Distil SQLQueries Out Of Host Languages In Order To Apply Quality Metrics

Date: 2007-01-11

Time: 11:45

Room: BBL room 471

Speaker: Huib van den Brink

Title: A framework to distil SQL queries out of host languages in order to apply quality metrics

Abstract

Many software systems that use a database lack maintainability and adjustability, for the produced queries are hard to reconstruct and inspect. For instance, the relations between the queries, established by the host language, are not easy to identify. This information however is vital when adapting the application in order to prevent unexpected behaviours. The area of this master thesis is within that of the program analysis. We focus on queries embedded in a host language, while by reconstructing and analysing the queries, insight is gained in its complexity. Also the interaction between the queries and the host language is taken into account. For instance, the explicit structure and relations within a database often are complemented with implicit relations established in the application itself. Therefore analysing the application with respect to the SQL queries it contains, is needed to detect and distil those relationships. Analysis techniques, such as constant propagation and partial evaluation, are instrumental for reaching this goal. Finally, a framework is constructed for extracting SQL queries out of host languages and for indicating the quality of the queries. The framework therefore includes means for indicating the quality of the relations between data, determined from how SQL query results are used.