Collaborative Debugging

Abstract

Debugging - the process of finding and correcting programming mistakes - faces too the challenges of distributed and collaborative development. The debugging tools commonly used by programmers are integrated into traditional development environments such as Eclipse or Visual Studio, and hence do not offer specific features for collaboration or remote shared usage. In this paper, we describe CDB, a debugging technique and integrated tool specifically designed to support effective collaboration among developers during shared debugging sessions. We also discuss the design and results of an empirical study aimed at identifying features that can ameliorate the effectiveness of collaborative debugging processes, and at evaluating the usefulness of our CDB collaborative debugging approach. The study suggests that CDB's collaboration features are often perceived as important for effective debugging, and can improve the overall debugging experience in collaborative settings.