Improving the Search for Architecture Knowledge in Online Developer Communities

Abstract

To make good architecture design decisions, developers need to know suitable architecture solution alternatives. However, with the rapid and continuous increase of solution alternatives (e.g. technologies, patterns, tactics), it is challenging to acquire architecture knowledge and to ensure that this knowledge is up to date. Our goal is to improve how architects search for architecturally relevant information in online developer communities. We developed a new search approach for architecturally relevant information using Stack Overflow as an example of an online developer community. Our search approach differs from a conventional keyword-based search in that it considers semantic information of architecturally relevant concepts in Stack Overflow. We also implemented the search approach as a web-based search engine. To show the effectiveness of the search approach compared to a conventional keyword-based search, we conducted an experiment with 16 practitioners. To ensure realism of the experiment, tasks given to practitioners are based on real scenarios identified in interviews with a different set of practitioners. The experiment showed that the new search approach outperforms a conventional keyword based search.