Visualizing the behavior of dynamically modifiable code

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increased recognition of some of the advantages offered by dynamically modifiable code, i.e., code that changes during the execution of the program. In its full generality, it can be very difficult to understand the behavior of such self-modifiable code. This paper describes a system that graphically displays the execution behavior of dynamic code, focusing on code modifications and their effect on the structure of the program, i.e., the call graph and control flow graphs of functions. This can help users visualize the structure of runtime code modifications and understand the behavior of dynamically modifiable programs.