HyperSource: bridging the gap between source and code-related web sites

Abstract

Programmers frequently use the Web while writing code: they search for libraries, code examples, tutorials, documentation, and engage in discussions on Q&A forums. This link between code and visited Web pages largely remains implicit today. Connecting source code and (selective) browsing history can help programmers maintain context, reduce the cost of Web content re-retrieval, and enhance understanding when code is shared. This paper introduces HyperSource, an IDE augmentation that associates browsing histories with source code edits. HyperSource comprises a browser extension that logs visited pages; a novel source document format that maps visited pages to individual characters; and a user interface that enables interaction with these histories.