Shortcomings of Class-level Documentation: A Survey
Jianwei Wu, Jining Yu, David Shepherd, James Clause
TL;DR
This paper surveys experienced developers to identify the limitations of class-level documentation in meeting their programming information needs.
Contribution
It provides an empirical analysis of the shortcomings of class-level documentation based on developer surveys.
Findings
Class-level documentation often fails to meet developers' information needs.
Developers frequently seek more detailed or different documentation than what is provided.
The survey highlights specific areas where class documentation can be improved.
Abstract
To better understand the shortcomings of class-level documentation, we conducted a survey of 167 experienced software developers. The survey focused on the participants' programming-related information needs and how often class-level documentation satisfies such needs.
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Taxonomy
TopicsSoftware Engineering Research · Software System Performance and Reliability · Software Engineering Techniques and Practices