Using CogTool to model programming tasks

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the use of CogTool, a tool that enables non-psychologists to create cognitive models of user tasks from which reliable estimates of skilled user task times can be derived. We show how CogTool was used to compare a new parallel programming toolkit built on Eclipse, with Vim, a programming editor typically used in command line environments. This comparison was conducted to evaluate new parallel/scientific systems as part of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's High Productivity Computing Systems initiative. Our models indicate that for the four tasks analyzed, the new Eclipse tools are faster than the command line environments. Surprisingly, our models also reveal that despite programmers' preference for keyboard interaction in command line environments, mouse-based interaction is sometimes faster.