I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Tool to Address the Challenges of Working with Unfamiliar Software Code

George Mason University, Fairfax VA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is based on the development of a tool that improves the understanding and documentation of software design. As technology advances, the demand for efficient and maintainable software grows; This tool addresses the critical need for developers to understand unfamiliar code. Working with unfamiliar code is a significant challenge for engineers when onboarding to a project, working with old legacy code, and when collaborating with globally distributed teams. By enabling developers to comprehend and adapt to codebases rapidly, this tool enhances collaboration, accelerates development timelines, and reduces errors, ultimately lowering costs for businesses. The potential societal and commercial impact include reducing the tedious and challenging work with unfamiliar code that slows the development process and increasing the ability of companies and organizations of all sizes to release software and new features to their users faster and at lower cost. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. The solution is based on the development of an innovative tool that offers a new form of documentation for software engineers working with unfamiliar code. Traditional documentation methods often fail to keep up with changes in the codebase, leading software documentation to be distrusted or unused by engineers in practice. This tool integrates static analysis tools into developers’ workflows to enable the design to be synchronized with the code. Built on top of a new way of documenting code through design rules that are checked against the code, the tool offers documentation that is always up-to-date, offers information when developers need it, and guides developers in writing code. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.