ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Program dependence graph

A program dependence graph (PDG) is like a big picture that shows all the different steps involved in making a computer program work. Imagine that you are building a tower out of blocks, each block representing a line of code in the program. Each block depends on the ones below it to be in the right place so that the tower does not fall down. This is how a PDG works.

A PDG shows how all the different blocks of code in the program connect to each other and which parts of the program depend on other parts. This chart helps programmers see what parts of the program need to be changed or fixed if something goes wrong, like a bug that causes the program to crash.

A PDG can also show how long a program takes to run and which parts of the program use the most resources, like memory or processing power. This can help programmers make their programs faster and more efficient.

Overall, a program dependence graph helps programmers understand how a program works and how different parts of the program connect to each other. It is like a map that guides programmers through the complex landscape of a computer program.