Abstract: In a method of determining which computer program functions are changed by a source code modification to a computer program's source code, the improvement of including the following steps, not necessarily performed in the order indicated: (a)—compiling the computer program's source code, using a compiler that generates a relocation entry for each program access to a program function or a program data item; (b)—compiling source code resulting from modifying the computer program's source code with the source code modification, using a compiler that generates a relocation entry for each program access to a program function or a program data item; and (c)—constructing a list of object code differences by comparing the outputs of steps (a) versus (b), and excluding from the list specified object code differences. A data storage medium containing computer instructions to perform the improved method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An improved method of modifying code of a running computer program is disclosed that includes the following steps, performed in the order indicated: (a) determining the functions that will be modified due to desired changes to the running computer program; (b) using the results of step (a), determining the start memory address and the end memory address of such a function; and (c) using the results of step (b) determining, for such a function, whether an execution stack of any thread in the running computer program contains a specified numeric value; and (d) using the results of step (c), determining whether the running computer program is currently in a state of execution such that the function can be modified safely. A data storage medium containing computer instructions to perform the improved method is also disclosed.