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  • Book
  • © 2013

Finding Source Code on the Web for Remix and Reuse

  • First comprehensive treatment of the topic, bringing together results from multiple research areas including information retrieval, programming, software tools, software reuse, testing, and social aspects
  • Presents essential reading for researchers new to the area
  • Includes contributions from leading companies and experts in data structure, software engineering, and HCI

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxi
  2. Introduction: Remixing Snippets and Reusing Components

    • Susan Elliott Sim, Rosalva E. Gallardo-Valencia
    Pages 1-14
  3. Programmers and Practices

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 15-16
    2. Unweaving Code Search Toward Remixing-Centered Programming Support

      • Kumiyo Nakakoji, Yasuhiro Yamamoto, Yoshiyuki Nishinaka
      Pages 17-34
    3. Archetypal Internet-Scale Source Code Searching

      • Medha Umarji, Susan Elliott Sim
      Pages 35-52
    4. A Controlled Experiment on the Process Used by Developers During Internet-Scale Code Search

      • Susan Elliott Sim, Megha Agarwala, Medha Umarji
      Pages 53-77
  4. From Data Structures to Infrastructure

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 79-80
    2. Artifact Representation Techniques for Large-Scale Software Search Engines

      • Oliver Hummel, Colin Atkinson, Marcus Schumacher
      Pages 81-101
    3. Krugle Code Search Architecture

      • Ken Krugler
      Pages 103-120
  5. Reuse: Components and Projects

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 165-166
    2. Developing Software with Open Source Software Components

      • Claudia Ayala, Xavier Franch, Reidar Conradi, Jingyue Li, Daniela Cruzes
      Pages 167-186
    3. Open Source Reuse and Strategic Imperatives

      • Rahul De’, Ravi A. Rao
      Pages 187-204
    4. Applying Program Analysis to Code Retrieval

      • Joel Ossher, Cristina Lopes
      Pages 205-225
  6. Remix: Snippets and Answers

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 251-252
    2. Software Problems That Motivate Web Searches

      • Rosalva E. Gallardo-Valencia, Susan Elliott Sim
      Pages 253-270
    3. Novel and Applied Algorithms in a Search Engine for Java Code Snippets

      • Phitchayaphong Tantikul, C. Albert Thompson, Rosalva E. Gallardo-Valencia, Susan Elliott Sim
      Pages 271-287
    4. Facilitating Crowd Sourced Software Engineering via Stack Overflow

      • Ohad Barzilay, Christoph Treude, Alexey Zagalsky
      Pages 289-308

About this book

In recent years, searching for source code on the web has become increasingly common among professional software developers and is emerging as an area of academic research. This volume surveys past research and presents the state of the art in the area of "code retrieval on the web." This work is concerned with the algorithms,  systems, and tools to allow programmers to search for source code on the web and the empirical studies of these inventions and practices.  It is a label that we apply to a set of related research from software engineering, information retrieval, human-computer  interaction, management, as well as commercial products. The division of code retrieval on the web into snippet remixing and component reuse is driven both by empirical data, and analysis of existing search engines and tools. Contributors include leading researchers from human-computer interaction, software engineering, programming  languages, and management.

 "Finding Source Code on the Web for Remix and Reuse" consists of five parts. Part I is titled "Programmers and Practices," and consists of a retrospective chapter and two empirical studies on how programmers search the web for source code. Part II is titled "From Data Structures to Infrastructures," and covers the creation of ground-breaking search engines for code retrieval required ingenuity in the adaptation of existing technology and in the creation of new algorithms and data structures. Part III focuses on "Reuse: Components and Projects," which are reused with minimal modification. Part IV is  on "Remix: Snippets and Answers," which examines how source code from the web can also be used as solutions to problems and answers to questions. The book concludes with Part V, "Looking Ahead," that looks at future programming and the legalities of software reuse and remix and the implications of current intellectual property law on the future of software development. The story, "Richie Boss: Private InvestigatorManager," was selected as the winner of a crowdfunded short story contest."

Editors and Affiliations

  • Many Roads Studios, Toronto, Canada

    Susan Elliott Sim

  • Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, USA

    Rosalva E. Gallardo-Valencia

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access