Outils de compréhension de programmes dans DB-MAIN. Outils d'analyse de programmes pour la rétro-conception de bases de données

The paper shows that database reverse engineering (DBRE) needs several reasoning, techniques and tools that have been developed in the software engineering realm, and particularly in program understanding. Conversely, program understanding requires an in-depth comprehension of the semantics of the data. One of the process of the DBRE methodology we propose is dedicated to eliciting implicit structures and constraints buried in the application programs. This elicitation is based on such techniques as pattern searching, dependency graph analysis, program slicing and program visualisation. The paper demonstrates how these techniques can contribute to DBRE, and how that have been integrated into the DB-MAIN CASE tool.