Applying and Integrating Natural Language Processing Analysis of Programs to Aid in Software Maintenance and Evolution

题目：应用和集成程序的自然语言处理分析来帮助软件维护和进化尽管有可用的软件开发工具，但最近的研究表明，软件工程师花在阅读、定位和理解代码上的时间比实际编写代码的时间要多。研究重点是通过将自然语言处理（NLP）应用于源代码（标识符、文字、注释和错误报告）并集成NLP、信息检索和传统程序分析，开发程序分析和集成工具，以简化程序维护和演变。因此，该项目采用跨学科的方法进行软件分析。预测的影响将显著地推进理论和实用工具的开发，这些工具在软件开发和维护中提供自动或半自动的辅助，这将减少维护时间并有助于提高软件质量。学生在测试中使用的理论和工具，以及课程的介绍侧重于如何进行有效的维护，也将产生显著的有益影响。它将传授新技术，并鼓励关于程序维护和发展的新思路。

Proposal P0702401TITLE Applying and Integrating Natural Language Processing Analysis of Programs to Aid in Software Maintenance and EvolutionPI Lori PollockDespite the available software development tools, recent studies have shown that software engineers spend more time reading, locating, and comprehending code than actually writing code. The research focuses on developing program analyses and integrated tools for easing program maintenance and evolution by applying natural language processing (NLP) to source code (identifiers, literals, comments and bug reports) and integrating NLP, information retrieval, and traditional program analysis. Thus, this project takes an interdisciplinary approach to software analysis. The predicted impact will be significantly advancing theory and development of practical tools that provide automatic or semiautomatic assistance in software development and maintanence, which should decrease maintenance time and help to increase the quality of software. The use of students in testing the theories and tools, and the introduction of courses focusing on how to perform effective maintenance, will also have a significant beneficial impact. It will impart new technologies and encourage new ways of thinking about program maintenance and evolution.