Program comprehension (also program understanding or [source] code comprehension) is a domain of computer science concerned with the ways software engineers maintain existing source code. The cognitive and other processes involved are identified and studied.[1] The results are used to develop tools and training.[2]
Software maintenance tasks have five categories: adaptive maintenance, corrective maintenance, perfective maintenance, code reuse, and code leverage.
Theories of program comprehension
Titles of works on program comprehension include
- Using a behavioral theory of program comprehension in software engineering
- The concept assignment problem in program understanding, and
- Program Comprehension During Software Maintenance and Evolution.
Computer scientists pioneering program comprehension include Ruven Brooks, Ted J. Biggerstaff, and Anneliese von Mayrhauser.
See also
References
- ^ Letovsky, Stanley (1987-12-01). "Cognitive processes in program comprehension". Journal of Systems and Software. 7 (4): 325–339. doi:10.1016/0164-1212(87)90032-X. ISSN 0164-1212.
- ^ Storey, Margaret-Anne (2005-05-15). "Theories, methods and tools in program comprehension: Past, present and future". 13th International Workshop on Program Comprehension (IWPC'05). IWPC '05. USA: IEEE Computer Society. pp. 181–191. doi:10.1109/WPC.2005.38. ISBN 978-0-7695-2254-8.
