Search papers, labs, and topics across Lattice.
This paper presents a qualitative user study investigating how developers interact with bug localization tools, focusing on tool interaction, the role of social/contextual information, and problem-solving strategies. Eleven participants used a bug localization tool with varying support levels across four realistic tasks while thinking aloud. Preliminary findings reveal that developers' tool adoption depends on factors beyond accuracy, including effective integration with their existing workflows and consideration of contextual cues.
Bug localization tool adoption hinges on more than just accuracy: developers need tools that mesh with their workflows and leverage contextual information.
Bug fixing is a complex and time-consuming task in software development. Bug localization research tends to focus on the accuracy of automated tools that suggest source code files for developers to look at. However, little is known about how developers use these tools in practice. This paper reports on an ongoing qualitative user study. Eleven participants worked through four realistic bug localization tasks in a controlled environment and were given varying levels of support information offered by a specialized tool. Participants were asked to think aloud in a semi-structured interview session. The preliminary findings provide insight into three aspects of practice: how developers interact with tools, the role social and contextual information plays, and problem solving. The study demonstrates that bug localization is complex and suggests that the adoption of effective tools depends on more than their accuracy.
