Software maintenance involves modifying the existing software system and recording all the modifications made to it. For this, various maintenance tools are used. One of the commonly used maintenance tool is text editor. This tool creates a copy of the documentation or the code. The key feature of this tool is that it provides a medium to roll back (when required) from the current version of a file to the previous one. Several other tools used in software maintenance are listed in Table.
Table Software Maintenance Tools
Name | Description |
File comparator | Compares two files or systems and maintains the record of the differences in the files. In addition, it determines whether the two files or the systems are identical. |
Compiler and linker | Compilers are used to check syntax errors and in some cases, locate the type of errors. When the code is compiled, the linker is used to link the code with other components, which are required for the program execution. Linkers sometimes are used to track the version numbers of the components so that appropriate versions are linked together. |
Debugger | Allows tracing the logic of the program and examines the contents of the registers and memory areas. |
Cross-reference generator | Assures that the changes in code are in compliance with the existing code. When a change to a requirement is requested, this tool enables to know which other requirements, design, and code components will be affected. |
Static code analyzer | Measures information about the code attributes such as the number of lines of code, number of spanning paths, and so on. This can be calculated when the new versions of the system are developed. |
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