Code Clone Detection based on Logical Similarity

Abstract: Code Clones are the entities in software ecosystems which can be unavoidable. Demand of software based clone detection has risen in industries day by day. Due to code duplication means the copy and paste activities, such pattern is recurrent thereby developers can reduce effort and time of rewriting similar code fragment by editing already written code. Code duplication may affect on quality, consistency, maintainability and comprehensibility. The trial is variety of syntax, compiler dependent language, and various coding patterns to resolve a single problem. There is lots of software tools, code clone detection algorithms exist, but they have some restrictions to detect perfect cloning. Earlier research and tools developed till now can find only Type-1, Type-2 and some part of Type-3 clones. Some tools are very slow and time consuming for comparing codes and with low in precision. Type-4 clone detection represents a challenge in current scenario. Type-4 is the Code with similar functionality that may be syntactically different but logically similar referred as semantic clones. Proposed system presents an algorithm for clone detection based on comparing parts of abstract syntax tree (AST) of programs and finding semantic coding styles.

Keywords: Type-1, Type-2, Type-3, Type-4, AST.