Programmers are frequently tasked with modifying, enhancing, and extending applications.
To perform these tasks, programmers must understand existing code by forming mental …

This paper reports on two experiments comparing mental representations and program
comprehension by novices in the object-oriented and procedural styles. The subjects were …

The cost of enhancing software applications to accommodate new and evolving user
requirements is significant. Many enhancement cost-reduction initiatives have focused on …

The goal of our study is to evaluate the effect on program comprehension of three factors
that have not previously been studied in a single experiment. These factors are programmer …

Computer programming is generally understood to be highly challenging and since its
inception a wide range of approaches, tools and methodologies have been developed to …

The objective of this study was to determine whether the mental representation of object-
oriented programs differs from imperative programs for novice programmers. In our study …

This research studied the comprehension of small procedural and object-oriented programs
by novice programmers. The objective was to find out what kinds of information novice …

This study examines the mental representations formed during program comprehension and
maintenance by procedural and object-oriented (OO) experts. The programmer's mental …

This exploratory study examines the nature of program understanding strategies employed
during a series of comprehension and maintenance activities carried out over time. Two …

Traces of program executions are a helpful source of information for program debugging.
They, however, give a picture of program executions at such a low level that users often …