Algorithms for Detection of Code Clones (or How to Spot a Clone)

A couple of weeks ago, I published a first article on code clones based on a paper I wrote a couple of terms back in my undergrad. If you haven’t read that one yet, give it a read first. In this part I focus on the different algorithmic approaches that can be used to detect code clones. And once more: All the stuff below is based on the German paper I wrote for a class on Software Quality, which is in turn based on the publications referenced in the paper and at the bottom of this page. Any gross oversimplifications and inaccuracies are entirely my fault.

So, what we have from the last post is an understanding of what code clones are, what different types of clones there are, and an understanding that we should try to avoid them if possible. Now, let’s take a look at how to detect such code clones in a code base (short of hiring someone to read code and just flag clones manually).
To do this we will consider four different approaches in increasing order of abstraction.

Our trusty C-like fragments of code from last time (still with hard-to-decipher German comments 😉 )
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