Patent ID: 7761282

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for simulating conditions in a software module, said method comprising: executing the software module on a processor; identifying, by the processor, whether a simulation environment has been activated in the software module; encountering, by the processor, a simulation point in the software module, the simulation point including one or more simulation parameters, wherein the encountered simulation point is in a function of the software module and wherein one of the simulation parameters is a function identifier corresponding to the function; in response to identifying that the simulation environment has been activated and the simulation point has been encountered: invoking a simulation module, the invoking comprising passing the simulation parameters to the simulation module; comparing, at the simulation module, the simulation parameters with one or more active simulation entries, the active simulation entries stored in a simulation file, wherein each active simulation entry includes a simulated condition; in response to the comparing locating an active simulation entry, retrieving a first simulated condition from a first active simulation entry matching the simulation parameters and returning the first simulated condition from the simulation module to the software module; in response to the comparing not locating an active simulation entry, performing the following: returning a “not simulated” code from the simulation module to the function; and receiving, at the function, the “not simulated” code and, at the function, performing the function steps and returning an actual return code resulting from the function steps to a code segment that called the function.