Automated
Transient Hypertext Support for Software Maintenance
Doctoral Spring School. Location: Leivonmäki, Finland. Seminar report. April
21-23, 1999.
In our approach program text (i.e. source code) is viewed
as hypertext for supporting software maintenance activities. Hypertext consists
of text fragments called nodes and links connecting them, enabling fast
nonlinear browsing capabilities. Our approach is congruent with the so-called
"golden rules of hypertext formation". In case of program text: there
exists a large body of information organized into numerous fragments, the
fragments relate to each other, and the user needs only a small fraction at a
time. By transient hypertext, we mean hypertext which is formed automatically
and exists only a relatively short period of time. The user is supported via
THASs (transient hypertextual access structures), which are temporary graphs.
THASs are meant to support the situation-dependent information needs of
software engineers according to their informatio requests. The nodes correspond
to syntactical parts of the program text. Node pairs are linked based on
existing relevant dependencies. THAS types may correspond to references, lists,
graphs, or hypergraphs. Graphical representations and abstract views are used
to alleviate the disorientation and cognitive overhead problems often
associated with hypertext systems.
Updated: Sept. 30, 2004
by Jussi Koskinen.