From Work To Word

FromWorktoWord:HowDoSo/ware

DevelopersDescribeTheirWork?

WalidMaalej,TechnischeUniversitätMünchen

Hans‐JörgHappel,FZIResearchCenterKarlsruhe

©W.Maalej,Mai09 2

Outline

ConclusionandNextSteps

ResearchSeKng

Research Results

MoMvaMon

2

1

3

4

FromWorkToWord

©W.Maalej,Mai09

WHYDoDevelopersDescribeTheirWork?

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PurposesofWorkDescripMon

1

2

3

4

RaMonaleCapture

Controlling

ReflecMon&ExperienceCapture

StatusAwareness

•  RememberstatuswhenconGnuingpostponedwork

•  CaptureexperiencesonproblemsandtheirsoluGons•  Logdecisionsandwhytheyhavebeentaken

inthisparGcularway

•  Reasonaboutpreviousdecisionsbyreading

theworkdescripGons

•  ReportworkdoneinaperiodofGme

•  Controleffortandcost(e.g.foraddingonefeature)

•  Helpcollaboratorsindistributedprojectsto

knowaboutthestatus

ofwork

•  Provideashort,human

readablesummaryof

changes

©W.Maalej,Mai09

WHEREDoDevelopersDescribeTheirWork?

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TimesheetSocialmedia

IssuereportcommentsCommitmessage ArMfactsincludingwork

descripMons

Personalnote

But:How dodevelopersdescribework?ThisisthegoalofourexploraMvestudy

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Outline


ResearchSeKng

Research Results

MoMvaMon

2

1

3

4

FromWorkToWord

©W.Maalej,Mai09

Content Analysis Time Metadata

OurResearchQuesMonsOnWorkDescripMon

  SessionduraMonanddescripGonfrequency

  LoggingdayMmeandrelaGontodescripGonquality

  PseudodescripGons,onlyGmemetadata

  Requiredeffort

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  Vocabularyusage,similariGesandtermsfrequency

  WorkcategoriesandproporGonofacGviGes

  DescripGonpa_ernsandcommontemplates

  ReferencedarGfacts

©W.Maalej,Mai09

DataSetsCollectedinDifferentContexts

Dataset Summary Numberofdevelopers

NumberofdescripMons

Representedperiod

MyCompDevelopers’GmecardsinaGermansoWwarecompany

25 38,0458years(2001–2009)

ApacheCommitmessagesofallApacheprojects

1,949 747,40315years(1994–2009)

Eureka

Subjects‘personalnotesinafieldstudywith5Europeancompanies

21 11510days(2008)

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©W.Maalej,Mai09 8

Outline


Research Results

MoMvaMon

2

1

3

4

FromWorkToWord

©W.Maalej,Mai09

VocabularyUsageandTermFrequency

WorkdescripMonsextensivelyinclude:

•  NegaMveformulaMons

•  JusMficaMonsandargumentaMons

•  Problemsthatcausedthework

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Rank Term Mycomp German Apache Eureka English

Not 2 17 4 1 29

For/ Since 7 184 23 212 906

Change 3 911 26 214 333

Review 1 >10,000 13 - 2,275

Problem 24 461 10 9 239

Now 12 576 14 58 808

Done 17 4,454 300 59 606

©W.Maalej,Mai09

DescribedCategoriesofWork

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•  NotonlyacMviMes“withworkproducts”aredescribed•  Granularityismore“ediMng‐”ratherthanacMvity‐oriented

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WorkDescripMonPa_erns

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Pa#ern ::= <Ac-on> 'concerning' | 'performed on' <Ar-fact> 'for'|'since'|'because' <Cause descrip-on>|<Reference to cause>

Pa#ern ::= <Ar-fact> 'works now'

Pa#ern ::= 'Problem'|'Bug' <Reference to issue>|<Problem descrip-on> 'fixed'|'solved' <Solu-on> ['reviewed with' <Colleague>]

Pa#ern ::= 'If' <Context> 'then' <Experience>

1.ArgumentaMonPa_erns

2.StatusPa_erns

3.ExperienceSharingPa_erns

©W.Maalej,Mai09

CreaMonTimeandSessionDuraMon

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•  DelayeddescripMonsareshorterthanimmediateones

•  ThemeanofsessionduraMonsisbetween30and90min.

•  Developersenteredbetween8and12descripMonsperworkday

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WorkDescripMonQualityandEffort

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•  Developersdon’thaveMmeormoMvaMontodescribe10%ofthesessions

•  3–6%ofdeveloperMmeisspentfordescribingwork(30min./day)

10%ofpseudodescripMons

©W.Maalej,Mai09 PotenMalsandChallengesofRSinSD 15

SummaryoftheTalk

Weconductedanexploratorystudyonhowdevelopersdescribetheirworkusingrealworlddata

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Aconsiderableamountofeffortisspenttodescribework,withoWenemptyorpseudo‐descripGons:automaGonwouldpayoff

2

WefoundsimilariGesindescripGoncontents:partofthedescripGoncanbeautomatedbyobservinginteracMons

3

WefoundsimilariGesintheMmemetadata:theworkdaycanbesessionizedautomaGcally

4

©W.Maalej,Mai09

Youarewelcometojoin!Contact:

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Hans‐JörgHappelFZI

[email protected]

WalidMaalejTUM

[email protected]

From Work To Word

Technology

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