Search results for "Program comprehension"
showing 7 items of 7 documents
Evaluation Framework of Hypertext Access for Program Comprehension Support
2008
Hypertext consists of text fragments connected by links enabling fast nonlinear browsing of the fragments. In case of program text there are many alternative ways to form the fragmentation and linkage. Transient hypertext is a general and well-grounded approach for offering capabilities to form versatile information access support for many kinds of central software maintenance activities. Transient hypertextual access structures (THASs) are data structures formed automatically based on situation dependent information needs of the users of program comprehension support tools. The approach has been implemented in HyperSoft system. It is aimed at supporting legacy software maintenance and comp…
Experimental evaluation of hypertext access structures
2002
Transient hypertextual access structures (THASs) are temporary graphs formed automatically on the basis of the situation-dependent information needs of software engineers. The approach is implemented in the HyperSoft system, which is a hypertext-based software maintenance support tool. THASs highlight the relevant parts of the program and enable nonlinear browsing between them. The system also supports various graphical views whose elements are linked to the program text. This paper describes the effects of using these hypertextual structures in two separate experiments. The subjects of both experiments were computer science students (total N = 70). In both experiments, the subjects perform…
Hypertext support for the information needs of software maintainers
2004
Making changes safely to programs requires program comprehension and satisfaction of the information needs of software maintainers. In this paper we provide insights into improving hypertext-based software maintenance support by analyzing those information needs. There exists a series of four earlier, detailed-level empirical studies on the information needs of professional C program maintainers. We focus on these studies, synthesize their results and determine sources from which the required information might be attained. An experimental research tool, the HyperSoft system, is used to demonstrate the satisfaction of information needs and the system is analytically evaluated against the nee…
Understanding and analyzing SQL/CLI database usage of Java software: empirical study
2005
Symbolic Reductionist Model for Program Comprehension
2007
This article presents the main features of a novel construction, symbolic analysis, for automatic source code processing. The method is superior to the known methods, because it uses a semiotic, interpretative approach. Its most important processes and characteristics are considered here. We describe symbolic information retrieval and the process of analysis in which it can be used in order to obtain pragmatic information. This, in turn, is useful in understanding a current Java program version when developing a new version.
A replication study on the intuitiveness of programming language syntax
2023
AbstractIn this article, we present a replication of an empirical experiment that evaluates intuitiveness and comprehensibility of keywords relating to different concepts in programming languages, originally conducted by Stefik and Gellenbeck. Novice programmers face many barriers when learning programming. One of these barriers is syntax, which for many languages is not designed based on empirical evidence. The purpose of the experiment was to provide more empirical evidence on the subject, to find out if the results of the original experiment can be replicated and if conducting the experiment in an environment where English is not the native language affects the results. The results of ou…