Article

Documenting software systems with views III: towards a task-oriented classification of program visualization techniques

Authors:

Shihong HuangAuthors Info & Claims

SIGDOC '02: Proceedings of the 20th annual international conference on Computer documentation

Pages 226 - 233

https://doi.org/10.1145/584955.584988

Published: 20 October 2002 Publication History

Abstract

Documentation has long played a key role in aiding program understanding. Graphical forms of documentation rely on software visualization techniques to make complicated information easier to understand. However, it is an open question exactly which types of graphical documentation are most suitable for which types of program understanding tasks (and in which specific usage contexts). This paper describes preliminary work towards a task-oriented classification of program visualization techniques. The classification is currently descriptive in nature, and divides the visualization techniques into three classes (static, interactive, and editable) based on the level of end-user interaction with the generated graphical documentation. The primary advantage of a task-oriented classification is that it will ultimately map common activities related to program understanding to specific types of software visualization. A summary of how the descriptive classification was used to structure the selection of software visualization tools to support program understanding in an industrial context is provided.

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Cited By

Zabardast EGonzalez-Huerta JGorschek TŠmite DAlégroth EFagerholm F(2023)A taxonomy of assets for the development of software-intensive products and servicesJournal of Systems and Software10.1016/j.jss.2023.111701202(111701)Online publication date: Aug-2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2023.111701
Bedu LTinh OPetrillo F(2019)A Tertiary Systematic Literature Review on Software Visualization2019 Working Conference on Software Visualization (VISSOFT)10.1109/VISSOFT.2019.00013(33-44)Online publication date: Sep-2019
https://doi.org/10.1109/VISSOFT.2019.00013
Tilley SParveen T(2012)On the similarities and differences between program documentation and test documentation2012 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference10.1109/IPCC.2012.6408643(1-2)Online publication date: Oct-2012
https://doi.org/10.1109/IPCC.2012.6408643
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Index Terms

Documenting software systems with views III: towards a task-oriented classification of program visualization techniques
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software creation and management
    1. Software post-development issues
      1. Documentation
      2. Software reverse engineering

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cover image ACM Conferences

SIGDOC '02: Proceedings of the 20th annual international conference on Computer documentation

October 2002

272 pages

ISBN:1581135432

DOI:10.1145/584955

Conference Chair:
Kathy Haramundanis
Hewlett-Packard Company
,
Program Chair:
Michael Priestley
IBM Toronto

Copyright © 2002 ACM.

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Published: 20 October 2002

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Cited By

Zabardast EGonzalez-Huerta JGorschek TŠmite DAlégroth EFagerholm F(2023)A taxonomy of assets for the development of software-intensive products and servicesJournal of Systems and Software10.1016/j.jss.2023.111701202(111701)Online publication date: Aug-2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2023.111701
Bedu LTinh OPetrillo F(2019)A Tertiary Systematic Literature Review on Software Visualization2019 Working Conference on Software Visualization (VISSOFT)10.1109/VISSOFT.2019.00013(33-44)Online publication date: Sep-2019
https://doi.org/10.1109/VISSOFT.2019.00013
Tilley SParveen T(2012)On the similarities and differences between program documentation and test documentation2012 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference10.1109/IPCC.2012.6408643(1-2)Online publication date: Oct-2012
https://doi.org/10.1109/IPCC.2012.6408643
Tilley S(2012)8^th international workshop on graphical documentation: SOA-based systems2012 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference10.1109/IPCC.2012.6408641(1-2)Online publication date: Oct-2012
https://doi.org/10.1109/IPCC.2012.6408641
Silva MOliveira TRaffo DPfahl DZhang L(2011)Towards detailed software artifact specification with SPEMArtiProceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Software and Systems Process10.1145/1987875.1987912(213-217)Online publication date: 21-May-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1987875.1987912
Tilley SMehlenbacher BProtopsaltis AWilliams ASlattery S(2009)Documenting software systems with views VIProceedings of the 27th ACM international conference on Design of communication10.1145/1621995.1622043(239-244)Online publication date: 5-Oct-2009
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1621995.1622043
Silva MOliveira TBastos R(2009)Software Artifact MetamodelProceedings of the 2009 XXIII Brazilian Symposium on Software Engineering10.1109/SBES.2009.28(176-186)Online publication date: 5-Oct-2009
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/SBES.2009.28
Lemieux FSalois M(2006)Visualization Techniques for Program ComprehensionA Literature ReviewProceedings of the 2006 conference on New Trends in Software Methodologies, Tools and Techniques: Proceedings of the fifth SoMeT_0610.5555/1565321.1565325(22-47)Online publication date: 28-May-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/1565321.1565325
Distante DTilley SHuang STilley SHuang S(2004)Documenting software systems with views IVProceedings of the 22nd annual international conference on Design of communication: The engineering of quality documentation10.1145/1026533.1026544(33-40)Online publication date: 10-Oct-2004
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1026533.1026544
Tilley SHuang SJones SNovick D(2003)A qualitative assessment of the efficacy of UML diagrams as a form of graphical documentation in aiding program understandingProceedings of the 21st annual international conference on Documentation10.1145/944868.944908(184-191)Online publication date: 12-Oct-2003
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/944868.944908
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