pycefr: Python Competency Level through Code Analysis

TL;DR

pycefr is a tool that classifies Python code snippets into six proficiency levels based on language element usage, aiding in developer onboarding, educational resource labeling, and skill assessment.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to categorize Python code according to CEFR levels, linking language element complexity to programming proficiency.

Findings

pycefr effectively categorizes code into six proficiency levels

The tool can identify code snippets suitable for specific skill levels

Potential applications include resource labeling and onboarding support.

Abstract

Python is known to be a versatile language, well suited both for beginners and advanced users. Some elements of the language are easier to understand than others: some are found in any kind of code, while some others are used only by experienced programmers. The use of these elements lead to different ways to code, depending on the experience with the language and the knowledge of its elements, the general programming competence and programming skills, etc. In this paper, we present pycefr, a tool that detects the use of the different elements of the Python language, effectively measuring the level of Python proficiency required to comprehend and deal with a fragment of Python code. Following the well-known Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), widely used for natural languages, pycefr categorizes Python code in six levels, depending on the proficiency required to create and understand it. We also discuss different use cases for pycefr: identifying code snippets that can be understood by developers with a certain proficiency, labeling code examples in online resources such as Stackoverflow and GitHub to suit them to a certain level of competency, helping in the onboarding process of new developers in Open Source Software projects, etc. A video shows availability and usage of the tool: https://tinyurl.com/ypdt3fwe.