Honors Program

 

Date of this Version

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

S. Datta, Eye Tracking Insights: "How Developers Search for Answers on Stack Overflow", Undergraduate Honors Thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, May. 2024

Comments

Copyright Shaunak Datta 2024.

Abstract

Understanding how developers utilize Stack Overflow to search for programming solutions is necessary for enhancing software development tools and practices. This thesis examines the gaze patterns of developers as they interact with Stack Overflow, focusing on the segments of the platform that attract the most attention and how these interactions affect code summarization. While Stack Overflow is a vital resource for developers, there is limited understanding of how developers specifically use the information presented on the platform during coding tasks.

In this thesis, we conduct a study where developers summarize Java classes and methods while their gaze patterns are recorded through eye-tracking technology. We analyze which parts of Stack Overflow posts such as text, code snippets, and metadata are most frequently consulted, and how transitions between the site and an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) occur. Our results show that developers focus on code and text segments within SO posts which shows the need for direct, applicable coding solutions and contextual explanations. The study also explores the types of queries developers formulate and the relative effectiveness of their summarizations, providing insights into how to extract useful information from SO.

The conclusions drawn from this research indicate that improvements in automated code summarization tools and the design of more effective user interfaces for programming-related search engines could be achieved by aligning them more closely with the observed behaviors and preferences of developers. Future work will aim to refine these tools based on the detailed interaction patterns identified, potentially enhancing the overall productivity and accuracy of developers using online resources like Stack Overflow.

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