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Control flow and data structure documentation: two experiments

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Ben ShneidermanAuthors Info & Claims

Communications of the ACM, Volume 25, Issue 1

Pages 55 - 63

https://doi.org/10.1145/358315.358391

Published: 01 January 1982 Publication History

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Abstract

Two experiments were carried out to assess the utility of external documentation aids such as macro flowcharts, pseudocode, data structure diagrams, and data structure descriptions. A 223 line Pascal program which manipulates four arrays was used. The program interactively handles commands that allow the user to manage five lists of items. A comprehension test was given to participants along with varying kinds of external documentation. The results indicate that for this program the data structure information was more helpful than the control flow information, independently of whether textual or graphic formats were used.

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Niu CLi CNg VGe JHuang LLuo B(2024)PassSumJournal of Software: Evolution and Process10.1002/smr.262036:6Online publication date: 5-Jun-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1002/smr.2620
Glorfeld LPalko J(2016)Flowcharts in Data Processing Education: An Empirical ReviewThe Journal of Data Education10.1080/00220310.1984.1164630324:3(18-20)Online publication date: 2-Feb-2016
https://doi.org/10.1080/00220310.1984.11646303
Glorfeld LPalko J(2014)A Comparison of Novice Algorithm Composition Performance Using Flowcharting or Pseudocode as the Design ToolJournal of Research on Computing in Education10.1080/08886504.1988.1078186221:1(82-96)Online publication date: 25-Feb-2014
https://doi.org/10.1080/08886504.1988.10781862
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Index Terms

Control flow and data structure documentation: two experiments
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software creation and management
    1. Software development techniques
      1. Flowcharts

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Association for Computing Machinery

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Publication History

Published: 01 January 1982

Published in CACM Volume 25, Issue 1

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Niu CLi CNg VGe JHuang LLuo B(2024)PassSumJournal of Software: Evolution and Process10.1002/smr.262036:6Online publication date: 5-Jun-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1002/smr.2620
Glorfeld LPalko J(2016)Flowcharts in Data Processing Education: An Empirical ReviewThe Journal of Data Education10.1080/00220310.1984.1164630324:3(18-20)Online publication date: 2-Feb-2016
https://doi.org/10.1080/00220310.1984.11646303
Glorfeld LPalko J(2014)A Comparison of Novice Algorithm Composition Performance Using Flowcharting or Pseudocode as the Design ToolJournal of Research on Computing in Education10.1080/08886504.1988.1078186221:1(82-96)Online publication date: 25-Feb-2014
https://doi.org/10.1080/08886504.1988.10781862
Friedrich DPantfoerder DVogel-Heuser B(2007)EVALUATION OF UML IN PROCESS AUTOMATION – RESULTS OF AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH -IFAC Proceedings Volumes10.3182/20070904-3-KR-2922.0004740:16(269-274)Online publication date: 2007
https://doi.org/10.3182/20070904-3-KR-2922.00047
Friedrich DVogel-Heuser B(2007)Benefit of system modeling in automation and control education2007 American Control Conference10.1109/ACC.2007.4282926(2497-2502)Online publication date: Jul-2007
https://doi.org/10.1109/ACC.2007.4282926
Robinson J(2004)Researching possible solutionsSoftware Design for Engineers and Scientists10.1016/B978-075066080-8/50011-6(255-275)Online publication date: 2004
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-075066080-8/50011-6
Curtis B(2002)Human Factors in Software DevelopmentEncyclopedia of Software Engineering10.1002/0471028959.sof152Online publication date: 15-Jan-2002
https://doi.org/10.1002/0471028959.sof152
Siy HVotta L(2001)Does The Modern Code Inspection Have Value?Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance (ICSM'01)10.1109/ICSM.2001.972741Online publication date: 7-Nov-2001
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/ICSM.2001.972741
Kemerer C(1995)Software complexity and software maintenance: A survey of empirical researchAnnals of Software Engineering10.1007/BF022490431:1(1-22)Online publication date: Dec-1995
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02249043
Wilde NScully M(1995)Software reconnaissanceJournal of Software Maintenance: Research and Practice10.1002/smr.43600701057:1(49-62)Online publication date: 15-Jan-1995
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1002/smr.4360070105
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A Framework for the Automated Drawing of Data Structure Diagrams

Interactive, Language-neutral Flowcharts and Pseudocode for Teaching Core CS0/1 Programming Concepts: (Abstract Only)

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