| Program comprehension is the process by which programmers gain an understanding of source code. The breadth and depth of understanding sought in any comprehension session is, of course, dependent on the assigned maintenance task. Program comprehension is also a difficult process, due in part to the sheer size of real life software. To manage the volume of information, modularization and collaboration are required. For a single understanding objective therefore, code will inevitably be scattered throughout various documents, and relevant knowledge among a wide range of individuals. A variety of factors, for example, programmer experience and pre-existing knowledge can offset some of the effects of this delocalization. They cue the programmer as to where to look and what, or who, to look for. Documentation can serve a similar function. However, documentation is frequently non-existent, improperly structured for comprehension needs or worse yet, out-of-date. This thesis proposes a new approach for capturing and organizing the documentation of delocalized plans. Noting the need for informal communication in system maintenance, a documentation format based on programmer comments is proposed. Documentation is built in tandem with the comprehension process. In addition, a facility is provided to restore critical links between the code, problem domain concepts and other software artifacts. |
