Textual views of source code to support comprehension

Abstract

Source code can be viewed in many ways, with each view facilitating access to different information contained within the code. We explore the role that marked-up textual views can provide in support of software comprehension and maintenance. Text has the advantages of being easily communicated, effectively manipulated with existing tools, and highly scalable. Furthermore, marked-up text models may improve comprehension by expressing information directly within the context of maintainers' focus - the source code they are manipulating. The session intends to explore the expressibility of marked-up text and its applicability in support of program comprehension tasks. Topics will include: the roles these models fulfill, their limitations, their combination, and the exploration of future research directions.