XMan creates complete and accurate documentation of errors and warnings automatically, regardless of the number of .C and .H files in your project. Support costs are driven down, as customers find error messages explained in your product docmentation. Programmers no longer have to spend hours tracing code to find undocumented error messages. Managers are able to review easily all error and warning messages for conformance to standards, before poorly-written, misleading, or unprofessional messages appear on your customers' screens.
XMan parses multi-file C projects, locating every exception process. In a C program, an exception process begins with a call to an error-handling function or macro, and ends with resumption of normal program activity or with program termination, as determined by the error handler.
XMan captures the file and line number of each exception process, and the name of the error handler it calls. In addition, XMan extracts the handler's error message, as well as any comments (/* */ or //) that would explain the error situation. XMan produces a report of this information formatted as an "Errors and Warnings" appendix for technicians or customers. Options are provided to omit the comments and/or the source locations; and the indenting can be altered to suit the format of existing documentation.
The complete list of messages (with source locations) created by XMan makes it easy to find and correct those that don't conform to your organization's standards of professionalism and quality.
XMan™ preserves your reputation for quality
XMan is also a quality-enhancement tool. Even if you could ensure that all error-handling functions and macros are rigorously tested, the exception processes that call those error handlers may still hide errors. In fact, a given error handler may be called by more than one exception process. And unlike error handlers, exception processes aren't named units of code, so they're nearly impossible to locate and test without a special tool. As a result, untested exception processes lie ready to strike customers who, already annoyed by the interruption, will be especially sensitive to any sign of low quality in the exception process. XMan can help remove such time bombs in your software by producing an Exception Process Test Outline for each unique exeception process in your project. Each Outline pinpoints one exception process, and provides information crucial to testing it without wasteful duplication.
XMan™ includes unique project-analysis tools
XMan creates a project-wide call tree, showing the file and line of each call in any C project, with a line joining the name of each calling routine with each called routine.
XMan's call tree is unique in four important respects:
- It includes calls to executable macros, as well as functions.
- Executable macros are distinguished from functions without relying on any naming convention.
- It isn't cluttered with library routines -- only routines defined in the source files of the project are included.
- Its usefulness is greatly enhanced by a Definition Directory which shows the file and line where each routine in the project is defined, how many calls refer to it, and the index number of each related call-tree entry.
XMan™ is efficient (Rare in today's bloatware market)
XMan will run on DOS 3.1 (and later) computers having only 640K of memory, but it also takes full advantage of the increased speed and capacity of the newest computers. XMan doesn't rely on a resource-draining graphical windowing environment, yet it has an easy interface that can be operated with either keyboard or mouse. XMan won't consume your disk, either: a full installation takes less than 525K. At present, it can analyze source files written in C only, although both C and C++ comment syntax is accepted.
XMan comes with a carefully-written book (350+ pages), which describes how to use the XMan system. Bound in a top-quality ring binder, the book presents a tutorial, examples, and techniques. The book also offers advice on how to detect and correct error messages that can damage your professional image.
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