| Type: | Package |
| Title: | Computation of Node and Path-Level Risk Scores in Scientific Models |
| Version: | 0.2.0 |
| Date: | 2026-04-03 |
| Maintainer: | Arnald Puy <arnald.puy@pm.me> |
| Description: | It leverages the network-like architecture of scientific models together with software quality metrics to identify chains of function calls that are more prone to generating and propagating errors. It operates on tbl_graph objects representing call dependencies between functions (callers and callees) and computes risk scores for individual functions and for paths (sequences of function calls) based on cyclomatic complexity, in-degree and betweenness centrality. The package supports variance-based uncertainty and sensitivity analyses after Puy et al. (2022) <doi:10.18637/jss.v102.i05> to assess how risk scores change under alternative risk definitions. |
| License: | GPL-3 |
| Encoding: | UTF-8 |
| LazyData: | true |
| RoxygenNote: | 7.3.3 |
| Imports: | dplyr, ggplot2, ggraph, igraph, ineq, purrr, scales, tibble, tidygraph, grid, stats, utils, rlang, sensobol |
| Suggests: | knitr, rmarkdown, spelling, testthat (≥ 3.0.0) |
| VignetteBuilder: | knitr |
| Depends: | R (≥ 4.1.0) |
| Language: | en-US |
| NeedsCompilation: | no |
| Packaged: | 2026-04-04 20:00:39 UTC; arnaldpuy |
| Author: | Arnald Puy |
| Repository: | CRAN |
| Date/Publication: | 2026-04-04 20:20:02 UTC |
Enumerate entry-to-sink call paths and compute risk metrics at the node and path level
Description
Given a directed call graph (tidygraph::tbl_graph) with a node attribute for
cyclomatic complexity, this function:
computes node-level metrics (in-degree, out-degree, betweenness),
calculates a node risk score as a weighted combination of rescaled metrics,
enumerates all simple paths from entry nodes (in-degree = 0) to sink nodes (out-degree = 0),
computes path-level summaries and a path-level risk score.
calculates a gini index and the slope of risk at the path-level.
Usage
all_paths_fun(
graph,
alpha = 0.6,
beta = 0.3,
gamma = 0.1,
p = 1,
eps = 1e-12,
complexity_col = "cyclo",
weight_tol = 1e-08
)
Arguments
graph |
A directed |
alpha, beta, gamma |
Numeric non-negative weights for the risk score,
constrained such that |
p |
Numeric scalar. Power parameter for the weighted power mean.
Must be finite and lie in the interval |
eps |
Numeric. Small positive constant |
complexity_col |
Character scalar. Name of the node attribute containing
cyclomatic complexity. Default |
weight_tol |
Numeric tolerance for enforcing the weight-sum constraint.
Default |
Details
The normalized node metrics are computed using scales::rescale() and denoted
by a tilde \tilde{\cdot}.
The risk score for node v_i is computed as
the weighted power mean of normalized metrics:
r_{(v_i)} =
\left(\alpha\,\tilde{C}_{(v_i)}^{p} + \beta\,\tilde{d}_{(v_i)}^{\mathrm{in}\,p} + \gamma\,\tilde{b}_{(v_i)}^{p}\right)^{1/p}\,,
where p is the power-mean parameter. When p = 1 this reduces to
a weighted sum (additive). In the limit p \to 0, this reduces
to a weighted geometric mean, implemented with a small constant \epsilon to
ensure numerical stability:
r_{(v_i)} =
\exp\left(\alpha\log(\max(\tilde{C}_{(v_i)}, \epsilon)) +
\beta\log(\max(\tilde{d}_{(v_i)}^{\mathrm{in}}, \epsilon)) +
\gamma\log(\max(\tilde{b}_{(v_i)}, \epsilon))\right)\,.
The path-level risk score is calculated as
P_k = 1 - \prod_{i=1}^{n_k} (1 - r_{k(v_i)})\,,
where r_{k(v_i)} is the risk of the i-th function in path k and
n_k is the number of functions in that path. The equation behaves like a
saturating OR-operator: P_k is at least as large as the maximum individual
function risk and monotonically increases as more functions on the path become risky,
approaching 1 when several functions have high risk scores.
The Gini index of path k is computed as
G_k = \frac{\sum_i \sum_j |r_{k(v_i)} - r_{k(v_j)}|}{2 n_k^2 \bar{r}_k}\,,
where \bar{r}_k is the mean node risk in path k.
Finally, the trend of risk is defined by the slope of the regression
r_{k(v_i)} = \theta_{0k} + \theta_{1k}\, i + \epsilon_i \,,
where r_{k(v_i)} is the risk score of the function at position i along
path k (ordered from upstream to downstream execution) and \epsilon_i is a residual term.
The returned paths tibble includes path_cc, a list-column where each
element is the vector of per-node cyclomatic complexity values along the path.
Value
A named list with two tibbles:
- nodes
Node-level metrics with columns
name,cyclomatic_complexity,indeg(in-degree),outdeg(out-degree),btw(betweenness),risk_score.- paths
Path-level metrics with columns
path_id,path_nodes,path_str,hops,path_risk_score,path_cc,gini_node_risk,risk_slope,risk_mean,risk_sum
Examples
# synthetic_graph is a tidygraph::tbl_graph with node attribute "cyclo"
data(synthetic_graph)
# additive risk (p = 1, default)
out1 <- all_paths_fun(
graph = synthetic_graph,
alpha = 0.6, beta = 0.3, gamma = 0.1,
p = 1,
complexity_col = "cyclo"
)
# power-mean risk (p = 0 ~ weighted geometric mean)
out2 <- all_paths_fun(
graph = synthetic_graph,
alpha = 0.6, beta = 0.3, gamma = 0.1,
p = 0,
eps = 1e-12,
complexity_col = "cyclo"
)
out1$nodes
out1$paths
Compute the Gini index of a numeric vector
Description
Computes the Gini index (a measure of inequality) for a numeric vector.
Non-finite (NA, NaN, Inf) values are removed prior to computation.
If fewer than two finite values remain, the function returns 0.
Usage
gini_index_fun(x)
Arguments
x |
Numeric vector. |
Details
The Gini index ranges from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (maximal inequality).
Value
A numeric scalar giving the Gini index of x.
Examples
gini_index_fun(c(1, 1, 1, 1))
gini_index_fun(c(1, 2, 3, 4))
gini_index_fun(c(NA, 1, 2, Inf, 3))
Path-level improvement from fixing high-risk nodes
Description
Compute how much the risk score of the riskiest paths would decrease if selected high-risk nodes were made perfectly reliable (risk fixed to 0), and visualise the result as a heatmap.
Usage
path_fix_heatmap(all_paths_out, n_nodes = 20, k_paths = 20)
Arguments
all_paths_out |
A list returned by |
n_nodes |
Integer, number of top-risk nodes (by |
k_paths |
Integer, number of top-risk paths (by |
Details
For each of the top n_nodes nodes ranked by risk_score and
the top k_paths paths ranked by path_risk_score, the function
sets the risk of that node to 0 along the path (for all its occurrences)
and recomputes the path risk score under the independence assumption,
using
P_k = 1 - \prod_{i=1}^{n_k} (1 - r_{k(v_i)})
The improvement
\Delta P_k = R_{\mathrm{orig}} - R_{\mathrm{fix}}
is used as the fill value in the heatmap cells.
Bright cells indicate nodes that act as chokepoints for a given path. Rows with many bright cells correspond to nodes whose refactoring would improve many risky paths (global chokepoints), while columns with a few very bright cells correspond to paths dominated by a single risky node.
Value
A list with two elements:
-
delta_tbl: a tibble with columnsnode,path_idanddeltaR, containing the reduction in path risk score when fixing the node in that path. -
plot: a ggplot2 object containing the heatmap.
Examples
data(synthetic_graph)
out <- all_paths_fun(graph = synthetic_graph, alpha = 0.6, beta = 0.3,
gamma = 0.1, complexity_col = "cyclo")
res <- path_fix_heatmap(all_paths_out = out, n_nodes = 20, k_paths = 20)
res
Plot path-level uncertainty for the top-risk paths
Description
Plot the top n_paths paths ranked by their mean risk score,
with horizontal error bars representing the uncertainty range
(minimum and maximum risk) computed from the Monte Carlo samples
stored in uncertainty_analysis.
Usage
path_uncertainty_plot(ua_sa_out, n_paths = 20)
Arguments
ua_sa_out |
A list returned by |
n_paths |
Integer, number of top paths (by mean risk) to include in the plot. Defaults to 20. |
Details
This function is designed to work with the paths component of
the output of uncertainty_fun(). For each path, it summarises the
vector of path risk values by computing the mean, minimum and maximum values, and then displays
these summaries for the n_paths most risky paths.
Value
A ggplot2 object.
Examples
data(synthetic_graph)
out <- all_paths_fun(graph = synthetic_graph, alpha = 0.6, beta = 0.3,
gamma = 0.1, complexity_col = "cyclo")
results <- uncertainty_fun(all_paths_out = out, N = 2^10, order = "first")
path_uncertainty_plot(ua_sa_out = results, n_paths = 20)
Plot the top risky call paths on a Sugiyama layout
Description
Visualizes the most risky entry-to-sink paths (by decreasing path_risk_score)
computed by all_paths_fun(). Edges that occur on the top paths are
highlighted, with edge colour mapped to the mean path risk and edge width
mapped to the number of top paths using that edge. Nodes on the top paths
are emphasized, with node size mapped to in-degree and node fill mapped to
binned cyclomatic complexity.
Usage
plot_top_paths_fun(
graph,
all_paths_out,
model.name = "",
language = "",
top_n = 10,
alpha_non_top = 0.05
)
Arguments
graph |
A directed |
all_paths_out |
Output from |
model.name |
Character scalar used in the plot title (e.g., model name). |
language |
Character scalar used in the plot title (e.g., language name). |
top_n |
Integer. Number of highest-risk paths to display (default 10). |
alpha_non_top |
Numeric between 0 and 1. Alpha (transparency) for edges that are not on the top-risk paths. Smaller values fade background edges more. |
Details
The function selects the top_n paths by sorting paths_tbl on
path_risk_score (descending). For those paths, it:
builds an edge list from
path_nodes,marks graph edges that appear on at least one top path,
computes
path_freq(how many top paths include each edge),computes
risk_mean_path(mean ofrisk_sumacross top paths that include each edge),highlights nodes that appear on any top path.
Node fills are based on cyclomatic_complexity using breaks
(-Inf, 10], (10, 20], (20, 50], (50, Inf] as per Watson & McCabe (1996).
This function relies on external theming/label objects theme_AP() and
lab_expr being available in the calling environment or package namespace.
Value
A ggplot object (invisibly). The plot is also printed as a side effect.
References
Watson, A. H. and McCabe, T. J. (1996). Structured Testing: A Testing Methodology Using the Cyclomatic Complexity Metric. NIST Special Publication 500-235, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD. doi:10.6028/NIST.SP.500-235
Examples
data(synthetic_graph)
out <- all_paths_fun(graph = synthetic_graph, alpha = 0.6, beta = 0.3,
gamma = 0.1, complexity_col = "cyclo")
p <- plot_top_paths_fun(synthetic_graph, out, model.name = "MyModel", language = "R", top_n = 10)
p
Internal helper for uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of node risk
Description
Computes a vector of node-level risk scores under a Sobol' sampling design and returns both the uncertainty-analysis draws and Sobol' sensitivity indices.
Usage
risk_ua_sa_fun(
cyclo_sc,
indeg_sc,
btw_sc,
sample_matrix,
N,
params,
params_labels,
order,
eps = 1e-12
)
Arguments
params_labels |
Character vector of length 4 giving the labels to use in the
|
Details
The node risk score is computed as a (weighted) power mean
with exponent p:
r =
\left(\alpha\,\tilde{C}^{p} + \beta\,(\tilde{d}^{\mathrm{in}})^{p} + \gamma\,\tilde{b}^{p}\right)^{1/p}\,.
In the limit p \to 0, this reduces to a weighted geometric mean, implemented
with a small constant \epsilon to avoid \log(0):
r = \exp\left(\alpha\log(\max(\tilde{C},\epsilon)) +
\beta\log(\max(\tilde{d}^{\mathrm{in}},\epsilon)) +
\gamma\log(\max(\tilde{b},\epsilon))\right)\,.
Internally the Sobol' design samples four independent U(0,1) values
(a_raw, b_raw, c_raw, p_raw). These are transformed before the model is
evaluated: the three weight draws are normalised to sum to one, yielding
\alpha, \beta, \gamma; and p_raw is mapped to
p \in [-1, 2]. The sensitivity indices are attributed to the
transformed parameters and reported under the labels alpha, beta, gamma,
and p. The raw names are used only for constructing the Sobol' design matrix.
Compute the linear slope of a numeric sequence
Description
Computes the slope of a simple linear regression of a numeric vector
against its index (seq_along(x)). Non-finite (NA, NaN, Inf) values
are removed prior to computation. If fewer than two finite values remain,
the function returns 0.
Usage
slope_fun(x)
Arguments
x |
Numeric vector. |
Details
The slope is estimated from the model
x_i = \beta_0 + \beta_1 i + \varepsilon_i,
where i = 1, \dots, n. The function returns the estimated slope
\beta_1.
This summary is useful for characterizing monotonic trends in ordered risk values along a path.
Value
A numeric scalar giving the slope of the fitted linear trend.
Examples
slope_fun(c(1, 2, 3, 4))
slope_fun(c(4, 3, 2, 1))
slope_fun(c(NA, 1, 2, Inf, 3))
Synthetic citation graph for software risk examples
Description
A synthetic directed graph with cyclomatic complexity values to illustrate the functions of the package.
Usage
data(synthetic_graph)
Format
A tbl_graph with:
- nodes
55 nodes
- edges
122 directed edges
Details
The graph is stored as a tbl_graph object with:
Node attributes:
name,cycloDirected edges defined by
from→to
A clean, publication-oriented ggplot2 theme
Description
theme_AP() provides a minimalist, publication-ready theme based on
ggplot2::theme_bw(), with grid lines removed, compact legends, and
harmonized text sizes. It is designed for dense network and path-visualization
plots (e.g. call graphs, risk paths).
Usage
theme_AP()
Details
The theme:
removes major and minor grid lines,
uses transparent legend backgrounds and keys,
standardizes text sizes for axes, legends, strips, and titles,
reduces legend spacing for compact layouts.
This theme is intended to be composable:
it should be added to a ggplot object using + theme_AP().
Value
A ggplot2::theme object.
Examples
ggplot2::ggplot(mtcars, ggplot2::aes(mpg, wt)) +
ggplot2::geom_point() +
theme_AP()
Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of node and path risk
Description
Runs a full variance-based uncertainty and sensitivity analysis (UA/SA) for node
risk scores using the results returned by all_paths_fun() and the functions
provided by the sensobol package (Puy et al. 2022).
Usage
uncertainty_fun(all_paths_out, N, order, eps = 1e-12)
Arguments
all_paths_out |
A list produced by |
N |
Integer. Base sample size used for Sobol' matrices. |
order |
Passed to |
eps |
Numeric. Small positive constant |
Details
Uncertainty is induced by jointly sampling the weights
(\alpha, \beta, \gamma) (renormalized to sum to 1) and the power parameter
p \in [-1, 2] used in the node-risk definition:
r =
\left(\alpha\,\tilde{C}^{p} + \beta\,(\tilde{d}^{\mathrm{in}})^{p} + \gamma\,\tilde{b}^{p}\right)^{1/p}\,.
For each node, risk scores are repeatedly recalculated using the sampled parameter
combinations, producing a distribution of possible outcomes. Sobol' first-order
and/or total-order sensitivity indices are then computed for all four parameters
(\alpha, \beta, \gamma, and p), quantifying how much of
the variance in the node risk score is attributable to each parameter.
Parameter labels and the Sobol' design.
Internally the design samples four independent U(0,1) values
(a_raw, b_raw, c_raw, p_raw) because the Sobol' quasi-random sequence
requires independent uniform inputs. Before evaluating the risk model, the raw
draws are transformed: the three weight draws are normalised to sum to one,
yielding \alpha, \beta, \gamma; and p_raw is mapped linearly
to p \in [-1, 2]. The sensitivity indices are then attributed to the
transformed parameters and the output labels them as alpha, beta, gamma,
and p rather than the internal raw names, so the results are directly
interpretable in terms of the model parameters.
Path-level uncertainty is obtained by propagating node-level uncertainty draws through the path aggregation function:
P_k = 1 - \prod_{i=1}^{n_k} (1 - r_{k(v_i)})\,,
where r_{k(v_i)} are node risks along path k.
All uncertainty metrics are computed from the first N Sobol draws (matrix A), while sensitivity indices use the full Sobol' design.
For more information about the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis and the output of this function, see the sensobol package (Puy et al. 2022).
The returned node table includes the following columns:
-
name: name of the node. -
uncertainty_analysis: numeric vector of lengthNgiving the uncertainty draws in the node risk score (from Sobol matrix A). -
sensitivity_analysis: object returned bysensobol::sobol_indices()for that node, containing Sobol' indices labelledalpha,beta,gamma, andp. These correspond to the normalised weights and the power-mean exponent respectively. The indices are computed on the transformed parameters (see Details).
The returned paths table includes:
-
path_id: path identifier. -
path_str: sequence of function calls for each path. -
hops: number of edges. -
uncertainty_analysis: numeric vector giving the uncertainty draws in the path risk score. -
gini_index: numeric vector giving the uncertainty draws in the gini index. -
risk_trend: numeric vector giving the uncertainty draws in the risk trend.
Value
A named list with:
- nodes
A tibble of node results.
- paths
A tibble of path results.
References
Puy, A., Lo Piano, S., Saltelli, A., and Levin, S. A. (2022). sensobol: An R Package to Compute Variance-Based Sensitivity Indices. Journal of Statistical Software, 102(5), 1–37. doi:10.18637/jss.v102.i05
Examples
data(synthetic_graph)
out <- all_paths_fun(graph = synthetic_graph, alpha = 0.6, beta = 0.3,
gamma = 0.1, complexity_col = "cyclo")
# Power-mean risk (increase N to at least 2^10 for a proper UA/SA)
results <- uncertainty_fun(all_paths_out = out, N = 2^2, order = "first")
results$nodes
results$paths
Validate the output of all_paths_fun
Description
Validate the output of all_paths_fun
Usage
validate_all_paths_out(x, required_cols = NULL)
Arguments
x |
Object to validate. |
required_cols |
Optional character vector of columns that must be present
in |
Value
Invisible TRUE on success; throws an error otherwise.