Facilitating Exploration of Unfamiliar Source Code by Providing 21/2D Visualizations of Dynamic Call Graphs

For modifying functionality of legacy software systems developers often need to work within millions of lines of unfamiliar code. In this paper we propose a concept that exploits dynamic call graphs for (a) identifying code parts that implement the functionality to be modified and (b) guiding developers while navigating from one source code file to another. The proposed concept is implemented within a tool for analyzing complex C/C++ software systems and has been tested on various million LOC systems. The tool provides a visualization front-end that permits developers to explore the system implementation on 3 levels of abstraction: (I) source code, (2) function interaction, and (3) module interaction. A 21/2D visualization view exploits perspective distortion for displaying both detailed and context information on Junctions and modules, by this, supporting developers during their comprehension tasks.