Understanding and supporting source code evolution

提高程序员更改源代码的能力是我研究计划的长期目标。出于许多不同的原因，需要更改源代码。例如，已经在使用中的程序(可能是多年前首次开发的)可能需要更改，以适应新的业务需求或不断变化的执行环境。即使是创建新程序也可以被视为对代码库进行更改的迭代过程，从程序的一个非常简单的版本开始。此外，新的和现有的程序通常都需要在发现缺陷(即“错误”)时进行更正。一些源代码更改可能很小，只有局部影响；其他更改可能影响深远，涉及重大的结构修改。尽管这方面的工作已经存在，但执行变更任务对程序员来说仍然是困难的。我提出的研究计划在这方面是基础的；我打算调查使变更任务变得困难的问题，然后探索改进的机会。从长远来看，这项研究的目的是发展一种理论，可以用作改进的基础，以改变任务实践和工具支持。

Improving the ability of programmers to make changes to source code is the long-term goal of my research program. Source code needs to be changed for a number of different reasons. For example, a program already in use (possibly first developed many year earlier) may need to be changed to accommodate new business requirements or a changing execution environment. Even creating new programs can be seen as an iterative process of making changes to the code base, beginning with a very simple version of the program. In addition, both new and existing programs often need to have flaws (i.e., "bugs") corrected as they are discovered. Some source code changes may be small with only local effect; other changes may be far reaching involving significant structural modifications. Despite existing work in this area, performing change tasks remains difficult for programmers.My proposed research program is foundational in this respect; I intend investigate the issues that make change tasks difficult and then explore opportunities for making improvements. Over the long-term, the aim of this research is to develop a theory that can be used as a basis for improvements to change task practices and to tool support.