A Method to Localize Defects in Source Codes Using Segments in Programming Exercises

Abstract

In programming exercises, we propose a method to localize defects based on automatic program repair. Localizing defects is accomplished by comparing a learner's program and model answers using program segments, which are sequences of statements with no branches, and replacing a learner's segments with model answers' segments until all test cases are passed. We implemented a prototype tool for localizing defects and confirmed that our tool can find defects for practical use.