unifying artifacts and activities in a visual tool for distributed software development teams jon...
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Unifying Artifacts and Activities in a Visual Tool for Distributed Software Development Teams
Jon Froehlich and Paul DourishInteractive & Collaborative Technologies Group
School of Information and Computer Science
University of California, Irvine
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Overview
• Software development is complex– Involves dealing with complexity of source code
(artifact)
• Distributed software development is even more complex– Involves dealing with both complexity of artifact and`
activities around that artifact
• These two sources of complexity are not independent– Our approach seeks to combine them in a familiar
visual frame
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String.java
class String implements Comparable
}
String substring(int index){
}
}
String(char value[]){
}
public int compareTo(Object o){
Example
Amy
Frank
Daniel
Jan ‘04
March ‘04
Feb ‘04
Feb ‘04
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String.java
class String implements Comparable
}
String substring(int index){
}
}
String(char value[]){
}
public int compareTo(Object o){
Artifact-Based Tools
Amy
Frank
Daniel
Jan ‘00
March ‘04
August ‘02
July ‘02
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String.java
Activity-Based Tools
Amy
Frank
Daniel
Jan ‘00
March ‘04
August ‘02
July ‘02
class String implements Comparable
}
String substring(int index){
}
}
String(char value[]){
}
public int compareTo(Object o){
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Separation
• This separation makes it difficult to see elements that involve both artifact and activity:– Who has been working on new sections of
code? – Which developers have worked together
recently and on what functions/files?
• or more complicated questions like– What modules depend on those recently
updated
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Our Approach
• To address this separation, we’ve developed a visualization tool called Augur.– Augur uses the source code itself to reveal
information about development activity
• The source code becomes a unifying principle with which to reveal information about its development
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Our Approach
• Augur relies on existing configuration management systems for its activity data– Currently supports CVS
• Augur performs language/structural analysis to better understand semantics of code
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Visualizations
• Visualizations shift load from cognitive system to perceptual system– Leverage visual system’s ability to perceive
patterns and structures
• Visualizations allow user to process large amounts of information in a consumable way
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SeeSoft
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1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * This is a test class to demo Augur!1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * @authors Jon, Sandy, Edward1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): public class HelloWorld {1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): 1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * Default constructor1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): public HelloWorld(){1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): Log.println(“Constructor called");1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): }1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): 1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * Prints HelloWorld msg & logs call1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): public void printMessage(){1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): Log.println("printMessage called");1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): System.out.println("HelloWorld");
1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): }1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): }//end HelloWorld class
SeeSoft
HelloWorld.java
Date Legend
Mar 11Mar 06Feb 02
Date Legend
Mar 11Mar 06Feb 02
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1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * This is a test class to demo Augur!1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * @authors Jon, Sandy, Edward1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): public class HelloWorld {1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): 1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * Default constructor1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): public HelloWorld(){1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): Log.println(“Constructor called");1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): }1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): 1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * Prints HelloWorld msg & logs call1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): public void printMessage(){1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): Log.println("printMessage called");1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): System.out.println("HelloWorld");
1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): }1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): }//end HelloWorld class
SeeSoft
HelloWorld.java
Author Legend
SandyEdwardJon
Author Legend
SandyEdwardJon
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1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * This is a test class to demo Augur!1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * @authors Jon, Sandy, Edward1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): public class HelloWorld {1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): 1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * Default constructor1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): public HelloWorld(){1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): Log.println(“Constructor called");1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): }1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): 1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * Prints HelloWorld msg & logs call1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): public void printMessage(){1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): Log.println("printMessage called");1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): System.out.println("HelloWorld");
1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): }1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): }//end HelloWorld class
Augur
HelloWorld.java
Structure Legend
ConstructorCommentMethod
Structure Legend
ConstructorCommentMethod
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Augur1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * This is a test class to demo Augur!1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * @authors Jon, Sandy, Edward1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): public class HelloWorld {1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): 1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * Default constructor1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): public HelloWorld(){1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): Log.println(“Constructor called");1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): }1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): 1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): /**1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): * Prints HelloWorld msg & logs call1.3 (edward 11-Mar-04): */1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): public void printMessage(){1.2 (sandy 06-Mar-04): Log.println("printMessage called");1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): System.out.println("HelloWorld");
1.1 (jon 02-Mar-04): }1.1 (jon 02-Feb-04): }//end HelloWorld class
HelloWorld.java
Author Legend
SandyEdwardJon
Author Legend
SandyEdwardJon
Structure Legend
ConstructorCommentMethod
Structure Legend
ConstructorCommentMethod
Date Legend
Mar 11Mar 06Feb 02
Date Legend
Mar 11Mar 06Feb 02
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• Source code is the common artifact around which developer activities take place– The code itself provides a common & familiar
space in which to reveal information about development activity
– Code becomes a unifying structure for organizing many different types of information
Augur
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Augur
HelloWorld.java
Author Legend
SandyEdwardJon
Author Legend
SandyEdwardJon
Structure Legend
ConstructorCommentMethod
Structure Legend
ConstructorCommentMethod
Date Legend
Mar 11Mar 06Feb 02
Date Legend
Mar 11Mar 06Feb 02
HelloWorld.java
SmallerFile.java
LargerFile.java LargestFile.javaFile.java
File2.java
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Augur in Practice
• Three examples follow that demonstrate how relationships between artifact and activity can be interpreted with Augur
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Three Examples
1. The activity of commenting
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Example One
Constructor
MethodComment
CommentMethod
CommentMethod
Conner
ConnerAntoine
AntoineConner
AntoineConner
Clearly there is a temporal pattern here, but…
Now we see, most recently added lines are comments…
And comments were added by a another author!
Not just detecting comments, but the activity of commenting!
This richer characterization made possible by the combination of information.
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Author Activity
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Author Activity
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Author Activity
• Majority of author’s development activity is commenting– This is easily discernible
• Tying together multiple views makes this inference possible
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Three Examples
1. The activity of commenting
2. Unification of views reveal richer notions of activity
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Unification of Views
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Three Examples
1. The activity of commenting
2. Unification of views reveal richer notions of activity
3. Exploring changes in context
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In Context
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Controls and Color LegendControls and Color Legend
Primary Visualization WindowPrimary Visualization Window
(Augmented Seesoft View)(Augmented Seesoft View)
Secondary VisualizationsSecondary Visualizations
FileTre
e E
xp
lore
rFileTre
e E
xp
lore
r
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Architecture
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Extensibility
• Supports1. Multiple Version
Control Systems
2. Multiple analytic tools
3. Multiple visualizations
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Ongoing & Future Work
• Exploring temporal activity patterns in source code
• Exploring social networking patterns in source code
• Applying Augur philosophy in other environments
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Past 2 Years, 3 MonthsPast 1 YearPast 1 MonthPast 1 WeekPast 24 Hours
Temporal Patterns
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Author “hawkprime” SelectedAuthor “oscarmm” SelectedAuthor “suvarov” SelectedAuthor “bmazur” Selected
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Social Patterns
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Integrating Augur Philosophy
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Conclusion
• Activity information is situated within the source code– Source code is an “inhabited space”
• Exposing activity information in the context of code provides a richer understanding of the relationship between them
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Thank You
Download Augur:
http://www.isr.uci.edu/projects/augur
Contact :