#+TITLE: JavaInspect - Utility to visualize java software
------
-- [[http://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitweb/?p=javainspect.git;a=snapshot;h=HEAD;sf=tgz][download latest snapshot]]
-
-- This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
- it under the terms of version 3 of the [[https://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html][GNU Lesser General Public
- License]] or later as published by the Free Software Foundation.
-
-- Program author:
- - Svjatoslav Agejenko
- - Homepage: http://svjatoslav.eu
- - Email: mailto://svjatoslav@svjatoslav.eu
-
-- [[http://www.svjatoslav.eu/programs.jsp][other applications hosted at svjatoslav.eu]]
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* General
+- This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ it under the terms of the [[https://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html][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 authors:
+ - Svjatoslav Agejenko
+ - Homepage: https://svjatoslav.eu
+ - Email: mailto://svjatoslav@svjatoslav.eu
+ - [[https://www.svjatoslav.eu/projects/][Other software projects hosted at svjatoslav.eu]]
+
+ - Tony Bargnesi
+ - GitHub fork for the project:
+ https://github.com/abargnesi/javainspect
+
+** Source code
+:PROPERTIES:
+:ID: 032b7997-f582-4203-b31a-43ef7b654ed6
+:END:
+- [[https://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitweb/?p=javainspect.git;a=snapshot;h=HEAD;sf=tgz][Download latest snapshot in TAR GZ format]]
+
+- [[https://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitweb/?p=javainspect.git;a=summary][Browse Git repository online]]
+
+- Clone Git repository using command:
+ : git clone https://www2.svjatoslav.eu/git/javainspect.git
+
+* 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.
-
-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.
+[[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-3d/graphs/][See example produced graphs]] for [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-3d/][Sixth 3D - 3D engine project]].
-To get JavaInspect into same classpath with your projecs I so far came
-up with 2 solutions:
+JavaInspect can be used as a [[id:acf1896a-74b4-4914-acf6-a77075e07f25][standalone commandline utility]] as well as
+[[id:bbeeffc8-3767-440d-8d93-ec9124dd60ee][java library]]. JavaInspect uses primarily Java built-in reflection to
+discover and visualize any part of Java program.
-1. Add JavaInspect library in your project as a dependency.
-2. 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.
+JavaInspect currently has no graphical user interface, configuration
+files, embedded scripting support, direct Maven, Gradle or Ant
+integration. See [[id:2ad2889e-6c95-4662-b3f4-2c341fc74522][usage]] to learn how to instuct Javainspect what to do.
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 [[https://graphviz.org/][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.
* Example graphs
+ A very simple example:
- [[file:example.png][file:example.resized.png]]
+ [[file:example.png][file:example-thumbnail.png]]
Graph legend:
file:legend.png
-+ Example visualization of [[http://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitbrowse/sixth-3d/doc/][Sixth 3D]] project: [[http://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitbrowse/sixth-3d/doc/codeGraph/][architecture graphs]].
+
++ [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-3d/graphs/][See example produced graphs]] for [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-3d/][Sixth 3D - 3D engine project]].
+
+* Installation
+[[http://www.graphviz.org/][GraphViz]] - shall be installed on the computer.
+
+On Ubuntu/Debian GraphViz can be installed using:
+#+BEGIN_SRC sh
+sudo apt-get install graphviz
+#+END_SRC
+
+To use JavaInspect via Java API, no further installation is
+needed. JavaInspect will be embedded into your project as dependency.
+This is described in [[id:bbeeffc8-3767-440d-8d93-ec9124dd60ee][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 [[id:032b7997-f582-4203-b31a-43ef7b654ed6][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
* Usage
-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
+ :PROPERTIES:
+ :ID: 2ad2889e-6c95-4662-b3f4-2c341fc74522
+ :END:
+JavaInspect can be controlled in 2 different ways:
++ [[id:acf1896a-74b4-4914-acf6-a77075e07f25][as standalone commandline utility]]
++ [[id:bbeeffc8-3767-440d-8d93-ec9124dd60ee][as embedded Java library via Java API]]
+
+** Usage as commandline utility
+ :PROPERTIES:
+ :ID: acf1896a-74b4-4914-acf6-a77075e07f25
+ :END:
+*** Available commandline arguments
+#+BEGIN_VERSE
+-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.
+#+END_VERSE
+*** 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:
+1. Provide list of Jar files. Use *-j* option.
+2. 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.
+
+** Usage via Java API
+ :PROPERTIES:
+ :ID: bbeeffc8-3767-440d-8d93-ec9124dd60ee
+ :END:
+Requires that classes to be visualised are available in the classpath.
+
+To get JavaInspect into same classpath with your projecs I so far came
+up with 2 solutions:
+
+1. Add JavaInspect library in your project as a dependency.
+
+2. 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.
1. Create graph object.
2. 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.
3. 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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glob_(programming)][glob]] patterns based blacklist and/or
+ whitelist.
4. Optionally we can tune some rendering parameters like:
+ Possibility to remove orphaned classes (classes with no
references) from the graph.
+ Specify target directory for generated visualization
- files. (Default is user desktop directory)
+ files. (Default is current directory)
+ Keep intermediate GraphViz dot file for later inspection.
5. Render graph.
-** example 1: individually picked objects
+*** Example 1: individually picked objects
This example demonstrates generating of class graph from hand picked
classes and visualizing GraphViz itself.
- Generated DOT file: [[file:JavaInspect.dot][JavaInspect.dot]]
- Generated PNG image: [[file:JavaInspect.png][JavaInspect.png]]
-** example 2: scan java code, apply filters
-#+BEGIN_SRC java
-// 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");
-#+END_SRC
-Result:
- - Generated PNG image: [[file:JavaInspect%20full%20project.png][JavaInspect full project.png]]
-
-** example 3: GraphViz embedded in another project
-1. Download project Sixth [[http://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitweb/?p=sixth.git;a=snapshot;h=HEAD;sf=tgz][code snapshot]].
+*** Example 2: GraphViz embedded in another project
+1. Download project Sixth [[https://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitweb/?p=sixth.git;a=snapshot;h=HEAD;sf=tgz][code snapshot]].
2. Inspect and run *DataGraph.java*.
-* Embedding JavaInspect in your Maven project
+*** Embedding JavaInspect in your Maven project
Declare JavaInspect as dependency:
#+BEGIN_SRC xml
<dependency>
<groupId>eu.svjatoslav</groupId>
<artifactId>javainspect</artifactId>
- <version>1.6</version>
+ <version>1.7</version>
</dependency>
...
</dependencies>
</repositories>
#+END_SRC
-* Requirements
-[[http://www.graphviz.org/][GraphViz]] - shall be installed on the computer.
-
-On Ubuntu/Debian use:
-#+BEGIN_SRC sh
-sudo apt-get install graphviz
-#+END_SRC
* TO DO
-- 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: replace internal java parser with: https://javaparser.org/
-- FEATURE: integarte with [[http://plantuml.com/class-diagram][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
+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:
+
+- 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.
+
+- 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 [[http://plantuml.com/class-diagram][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 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
+
+- FEATURE: Possibility to attach to JVM using JVM agent.
+
+- FEATURE: Possibility to inspect graphs in 3D using [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-3d/][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.
+* See also
+Similar or alternative solutions:
++ http://www.class-visualizer.net/
++ [[https://github.com/pahen/madge][Madge - similar tool for JavaScript]]
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