From program comprehension to tool requirements for an industrial environment

Abstract

A major portion of the maintenance effort is spent understanding existing software. The authors present an integrated code comprehension model and experiences with it in an industrial setting. They use audio-taped, think-aloud reports to investigate how well this integrated code comprehension model works during industrial maintenance activities ranging from code fixes to enhancements, code leverage, and reuse. They analyze the tapes for information needs during maintenance activities and derive tool capabilities accordingly.<>