Patent ID: 7577946

Claim:
A method of performing a consistency test of a machine code file with respect to an original version and a current version of a source file thereof, the method comprising: (a) producing a source file attribute record of a source file when a source code in the source file is compiled into a machine code file, the source file attribute record including file location information indicating where the source file is saved and last modified date information indicating when the source file was last modified; (b) appending the source file attribute record to the machine code file as part of the machine code file; (c) extracting the source file attribute record out of the machine code file when a consistency test request about the machine code file is received; (d) obtaining a last modified date attribute of a current version of the source file that is found in a location indicated by the file location information in the source file attribute record extracted; and (e) comparing the last modified date information in the source file attribute record extracted with the last modified date attribute from said obtaining, thereby determining whether the source file used to compile the machine code file is consistent with the current source file.