HAnS: IDE-based editing support for embedded feature annotations
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Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Modellbyggare
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Sammanfattning
One of the most common and widespread activities among software developers is
locating features (Krüger, Berger, & Leich, 2019). However, feature location is a
costly activity that is challenging and takes considerable effort to perform, as records
of a features’ explicit location are rarely kept. In this thesis, HAnS is presented, a
plugin for IntelliJ with editing support for embedding feature annotations in source
code during development, as embedding feature annotations is shown to be a cheap
and reliable way to keep track of feature locations. To implement the plugin, a design
science methodology was adopted where we performed user studies to find what
features would make HAnS effective. The results of the user studies show that the
most important functionality of HAnS is its support for writing feature annotations
through convenient code completion, refactoring and navigation of features. The
user studies also found that HAnS was effective at reducing the errors created during
development that require correction later on. The major drawback of HAnS is its
refactoring performance which is slow in larger projects. From these results, we draw
the conclusion that the plugin is effective for its purpose, but that further research
is needed in the form of a longitudinal study where long term use data is gathered.
We also suggest further development to extend the plugin’s functionality.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
embedded feature annotations, feature location, tool support, IntelliJ, IDE, integrated development environment