JavaInspect - Utility to visualize java software
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-
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- download latest snapshot
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JavaInspect - Utility to visualize java software
+++ +Table of Contents
+++-
+
- 1. General + - -
- This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify -it under the terms of version 3 of the GNU Lesser General Public -License or later as published by the Free Software Foundation. +
- 2. Goal and operating principle +
- 3. Example graphs +
- 4. Installation +
- 5. Usage + + +
- 6. TO DO +
- 7. See also +
+-1 General
++--
+
- This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify +it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as +published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the +License, or (at your option) any later version. -
- Program author: +
- Program authors:
- Svjatoslav Agejenko - -
- Homepage: http://svjatoslav.eu - -
- Email: mailto://svjatoslav@svjatoslav.eu - +
+
+ - Tony Bargnesi
+
-
+
- GitHub fork for the project: +https://github.com/abargnesi/javainspect +
+
- other applications hosted at svjatoslav.eu -
+++1.1 Source code
+++-
+
- Download latest snapshot in TAR GZ format + +
- Browse Git repository online + +
+Clone Git repository using command: +
++git clone https://www2.svjatoslav.eu/git/javainspect.git +
-1 General
-++-2 Goal and operating principle
+Goal: simplify/speed up understanding the computer program code by automatically visualizing its structure.
-JavaInspect is a Java library that primarily uses Java reflection to -discover and visualize any part of Java program provided that -classes to be visualised are available in the classpath. +See example produced graphs for Sixth 3D - 3D engine project.
-JavaInspect currently has no GUI, configuration files, embedded -scripting support, direct Maven or Ant integration. The only way to -instuct Javainspect what to do is by using its Java API. +JavaInspect can be used as a standalone commandline utility as well as +java library. JavaInspect uses primarily Java built-in reflection to +discover and visualize any part of Java program.
-To get JavaInspect into same classpath with your projecs I so far came -up with 2 solutions: +JavaInspect currently has no graphical user interface, configuration +files, embedded scripting support, direct Maven, Gradle or Ant +integration. See usage to learn how to instuct Javainspect what to do.
--
-
- Add JavaInspect library in your project as a dependency. - -
- Create new Java project for the purpose visualizing your other -projects and include JavaInspect and your projecs binary artifacts -(Jar's) into new project classpath. Built binary Jar's (with no -source code) are sufficient because JavaInspect operates via -reflection. - -
After discovering application structure and optionally filtering out unimportant parts, JavaInspect produces GraphViz dot file that -describes data to be visualized. Then launches GraphViz to generate -bitmap graph in PNG format. By default on your Desktop directory. +describes data to be visualized. Then launches GraphViz to generate +bitmap graph in PNG or SVG format.
-Note: GraphViz is developed and tested so far only on GNU/Linux. +Notes:
+-
+
- JavaInspect is developed and tested so far only on GNU/Linux. +
-2 Example graphs
-++-3 Example graphs
+-
-
- A very simple example: +
+A very simple example: +
-
+
- Example visualization of Sixth 3D project: architecture graphs. -
+ +-3 Usage
-+++ +4 Installation
++++GraphViz - shall be installed on the computer. +
+ ++On Ubuntu/Debian GraphViz can be installed using: +
+++ +sudo apt-get install graphviz +
++To use JavaInspect via Java API, no further installation is +needed. JavaInspect will be embedded into your project as dependency. +This is described in usage via Java API. It will expect GraphViz to be +available in the system. +
+ ++To use JavaInspect as a commandline tool, JavaInspect source +repository has to be cloned locally: See Source code. +
+ ++Then study and execute installation script: +
++commandline launcher/install +
+ + ++After installation, new commandline tool should be available +
++javainspect +
+ + ++Quick commandline usage help can be viewed by issuing +
++javainspect --help +
++5 Usage
+++ ++JavaInspect can be controlled in 2 different ways: +
+ +++ +5.1 Usage as commandline utility
+++++5.1.1 Available commandline arguments
++++-j (existing files)…
+
+ JAR file(s) to render.
+
+-c (existing directories)…
+ Classpath directories
+
+-n (string)
+ Graph name. (default: "graph")
+
+–debug
+ Show debug info.
+
+-h, –help
+ Show commandline usage help.
+
+-k
+ Keep dot file.
+
+-ho
+ Hide orphaned classes.
+
+-w (one to many strings)…
+ Whitelist glob(s).
+
+-b (one to many strings)…
+ Blacklist glob(s).
+
+-r (one to many strings)…
+ root class(es).
+
+-d (existing directory)
+ Target directory. Default is current directory.
+
+-t (options: png, svg)
+ Target image type. Default is: svg.
+++5.1.2 Specifying classes to render
++++Normal Java application has immense complexity. In addition to code +that was directly written by particular project developers, lots of +functionality is typically added as frameworks or libraries to the +project. In addition there is significant Java standard library. +
+ ++Because JavaInspect uses reflection, it does not easily distinguish +between those. In normal situation you would rather want to visualize +only code that was developed specifically for your project and leave +frameworks like Spring etc. out. If you visualize all classes that are +possibly reachable from you project, you will easily get huge and +incomprehensible graph. +
+ ++JavaInspect can digest compiled Java classes in 2 modes: +
+-
+
- Provide list of Jar files. Use -j option. +
- Provide list of filesystem directories that can be used as +classpath root. Use -c option. +
+Currently JavaInspect uses following algorithm to add classes to +rendered graph: +
+ +-
+
- All classes that were found in Jar files are added to graph by default. +
- None of the classes that were found in filesystem directories are +added to the graph by default (unless explicitly referenced). (TODO: +for consistency it would be better to add them too by default) +
- If whitelist is specified (-w option) everything that is not +matched by whitelist pattern(s) will be removed from the graph. +
- If blacklist is specified (-b option) everything that is matched +by blacklist pattern(s) will be removed from the graph. +
- Root classes can be specified using -r option. Root classes will +be added to the graph. JavaInspect will then try to recursively +discover all classes that were referenced by root class and add +those also to the graph. +
+5.2 Usage via Java API
++-+Requires that classes to be visualised are available in the classpath. +
+-Currently the only way to control JavaInspect is by using Java -API. Simple Java based control/configuration code needs to be written -for each project. I usually put such code into directories devoted for +To get JavaInspect into same classpath with your projecs I so far came +up with 2 solutions: +
+ +-
+
- Add JavaInspect library in your project as a dependency. + +
- Create new Java project for the purpose visualizing your other +projects and include JavaInspect and your projecs binary artifacts +(Jar's) into new project classpath. Built binary Jar's (with no +source code) are sufficient because JavaInspect operates via +reflection. +
+Simple Java based control/configuration code needs to be written for +each project. I usually put such code into directories devoted for JUnit tests. Because it needs not to be compiled/embedded into final product or project artifact I'm just willing to visualize.
@@ -314,55 +574,40 @@ product or project artifact I'm just willing to visualize. Control code in general does the following:-
-
- Create graph object. - +
- Create graph object.
- Java reflection/classloaders does not provide mechanism for
discovering all classes under given package. Therefore you need to
-declare at least some classes to be added to the graph by:
-
-
-
- Manually adding individual classes to the graph. - -
- and/or: Let GraphViz recursively scan and parse specified -directories with Java source code files to discover class names. - -
- For every class added to the graph, GraphViz will recursively -inspect it and add all referecned classes to the graph as well. - -
+declare at least some classes to be added to the graph by manually
+adding individual classes to the graph. For every class added to
+the graph, GraphViz will recursively inspect it and add all
+referecned classes to the graph as well.
- Graphs easilly get very big and complex so optionally we filter -important code using classname wildcards patterns based blacklist -and/or whitelist. - +important code using classname glob patterns based blacklist and/or +whitelist.
- Optionally we can tune some rendering parameters like:
- Possibility to remove orphaned classes (classes with no -references) from the graph. - +references) from the graph.
- Specify target directory for generated visualization -files. (Default is user desktop directory) - -
- Keep intermediate GraphViz dot file for later inspection. - - - -
- Render graph. - +files. (Default is current directory) +
- Keep intermediate GraphViz dot file for later inspection. + +
- Render graph.
-3.1 example 1: individually picked objects
-++5.2.1 Example 1: individually picked objects
+This example demonstrates generating of class graph from hand picked classes and visualizing GraphViz itself.
- -@@ -385,7 +631,6 @@ graph.generateGraph("JavaInspect"); Note: if desired, more compact version of the above:// Create graph +
+// Create graph final ClassGraph graph = new ClassGraph(); // Add some random object to the graph. GraphViz will detect Class from @@ -378,6 +623,7 @@ graph.setKeepDotFile(true); // Produce bitmap image titled "JavaInspect.png" to the user Desktop // directory graph.generateGraph("JavaInspect"); +
-new ClassGraph().add(randomObject, RandomClass.class) .setKeepDotFile(true).generateGraph("JavaInspect");
@@ -396,74 +641,35 @@ Note: if desired, more compact version of the above: Result:-
-
- Generated DOT file: JavaInspect.dot - -
- Generated PNG image: JavaInspect.png - +
- Generated DOT file: JavaInspect.dot +
- Generated PNG image: JavaInspect.png
-- -3.2 example 2: scan java code, apply filters
---- --// Create graph -final ClassGraph graph = new ClassGraph(); - -// Recursively scan current directory for Java source code and attempt -// to detect class names from there to be added to the graph. -graph.addProject("."); - -// Blacklist example classes from being shown on the graph -graph.blacklistClassPattern("eu.svjatoslav.inspector.java.structure.example.*"); - -// do not show single classes with no relationships on the graph -graph.hideOrphanedClasses(); - -// Produce bitmap image titled "JavaInspect full project.png" to the -// user Desktop directory. -graph.generateGraph("JavaInspect full project"); -
--Result: -
--
-
- Generated PNG image: JavaInspect full project.png - -
-3.3 example 3: GraphViz embedded in another project
-+-+-5.2.2 Example 2: GraphViz embedded in another project
+-
-
- Download project Sixth code snapshot. - -
- Inspect and run *DataGraph.java*. - +
- Download project Sixth code snapshot. +
- Inspect and run DataGraph.java.
-4 Embedding JavaInspect in your Maven project
-+-++5.2.3 Embedding JavaInspect in your Maven project
+Declare JavaInspect as dependency:
-<dependencies> ... <dependency> <groupId>eu.svjatoslav</groupId> <artifactId>javainspect</artifactId> - <version>1.6</version> + <version>1.7</version> </dependency> ... </dependencies> @@ -475,7 +681,6 @@ Declare JavaInspect as dependency: Add Maven repository to retrieve artifact from:
-<repositories> ... <repository> @@ -489,84 +694,118 @@ Add Maven repository to retrieve artifact from:
-5 Requirements
-+-+-6 TO DO
+-GraphViz - shall be installed on the computer. +Note: Because this is side project (and I have many of them) I can +only contribute few hours per year at average. Any help is welcome. A +LOT of cool ideas could be implemented. For intstance:
--On Ubuntu/Debian use: -
-++-
+
- BUG: Should not hide references if there are too many of them to +classes if referring classes are not visible anyway because of +blacklist/whitelist rules. Basically reference counting should +exclude not visible classes. -
sudo apt-get install graphviz -
-- BUG: Orphaned class removal does not work always. There are many +bugs and corner cases to find and fix still.
+ +- BUG: Code is not very readable. Document and refactor for better +maintainability.
+ +- FEATURE: Create installable DEB package. +
+ +-
+
- Submit it to some Debian developer for integration or become +Debian package maintainer. +
- FEATURE: Make it modular. That is: central part, an application +model could be standalone and serializable. + +
+ +-
+
- There could be multiple ways to acquire model:
+
-
+
- By introspecting application via Java reflections (current mode +of operation). +
- By parsing java source. (unfinished) +
+
+ - There could be ways to manipulate model:
+
-
+
- Store/load/compare. +
- Trim uninteresting parts. +
- Highlight important parts. +
+
+ - There could be multiple ways to render model:
+
-
+
- PNG/SVG (currently implemented) +
- PlantUML (TODO) +
- Interactive 3D visualization (TODO) +
+
- FEATURE: Implement (or integrate existing java parser +https://javaparser.org/) to be able to produce code visualizations +based on source code (in addition to current reflection based +approach).
+ +- FEATURE: Integarte with PlantUML.
+ +- FEATURE: Add dark theme for generated graphs.
+ +- FEATURE: Sort Class fields by alphabet.
+ +- FEATURE: Visualize also concrete field values so it could be used as +ultra cool runtime logging/debugging framework.
+ +- FEATURE: Possibility to visualize structure and data from JVM +snapshot.
+ +- FEATURE: Possibility to attach to remote process to visualize +data/structure using JVM debug port and mechanism.
+ +- FEATURE: Possibility to attach to JVM using JVM agent.
+ +- FEATURE: Possibility to inspect graphs in 3D using Sixth 3D engine.
+ +- FEATURE: Possibility to select classes/fields/values to be +visualized in some graph query language. For greater flexibility in +comparison to currently supported glob syntax.
+ +- FEATURE: Add option to control JavaInspect via JSON or XML config +file. For example different graphs for given project could be +defined once in plain text config, possibly with the aid of some +interactive utility. Then defined graphs could be updated as part of +project build or release process.
+ +- FEATURE: Configurable maven plugin to generate graphs as part of the +project build/release process.
+-6 TO DO
-++-7 See also
+++Similar or alternative solutions: +
-
-
- BUG: Should not hide references if there are too many of them to classes if -referring classes are not visible anyway because of blacklist/whitelist rules. -Basically reference counting should exclude not visible classes. - -
- FEATURE: integarte with PlantUML. - -
- FEATURE: add dark theme - -
- FEATURE: sort Class fields by alphabet - -
- FEATURE: visualize also concrete field values so it could be used as -ultra cool runtime logging framework - -
- FEATURE: possibility to visualize structure and data from JVM -snapshot - -
- FEATURE: possibility to attach to remote process to visualize -data/structure using JVM debug port and mechanism. - -
- FEATURE: possibility to attach to JVM using JVM agent - -
- FEATURE: possibility to script javainspect behavior - -
- FEATURE: possibility to select classes/fields/values to be -visualized in SQL like syntax - -
- FEATURE: configurable maven plugin to generate graphs as part of the -project build/release process - +
- http://www.class-visualizer.net/ +
- Madge - similar tool for JavaScript
-