An Empirical Study of CSS Code Smells in Web Frameworks

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) has become essential to front-end web development for the specification of style. But despite its simple syntax and the theoretical advantages attained through the separation of style from content and behavior, CSS authoring today is regarded as a complex task. As a result, developers are increasingly turning to CSS preprocessor languages and web frameworks to aid in development. However, previous studies show that even highly popular websites which are known to be developed with web frameworks contain CSS code smells such as duplicated rules and hard-coded values. Such code smells have the potential to cause adverse effects on websites and complicate maintenance. It is therefore important to investigate whether web frameworks may be encouraging the introduction of CSS code smells into websites. In this thesis, we investigate the prevalence of CSS code smells in websites built with different web frameworks and attempt to recognize a pattern of CSS behavior in these frameworks. We collect a dataset of several hundred websites produced by each of 19 different frameworks, collect code smells and other metrics present in the CSS code of each website, train a classifier to predict which framework the website was built with, and perform various clustering tasks to gain insight into the correlations between code smells. Our results show that CSS code smells are highly prevalent in websites built with web frameworks, we achieve an accuracy of 39% in correctly classifying the frameworks based on CSS code smells and metrics, and we find interesting correlations between code smells

A User Feedback Centric Approach for Detecting and Mitigating God Class Code Smell Using Frequent Usage Patterns

Code smells are the fragments in the source code that indicates deeper problems in the underlying software design. These code smells can hinder software evolution and maintenance. Out of different code smell types, the God Class (GC) code smell is one of the many important code smells that directly affects the software evolution and maintenance. The GC is commonly defined as a much larger class in systems that either know too much or do too much as compared to other classes in the system. God Classes are generally accidentally created overtime during software evolution because of the incremental addition of functionalities to it. Generally, a GC indicates a bad design choice and it must be detected and mitigated in order to enhance the quality of the underlying software. However, sometimes the presence of a GC is also considered a good design choice, especially in compiler design, interpreter design and parser implementation. This makes the developer’s feedback important for the correct classification of a class as a GC or a normal class. Therefore, this paper proposes a new approach that detects and proposes refactoring opportunities for GC code smell. The proposed approach makes use of different code metrics in combination along with utilizing user feedback as an important aspect while correctly identifying the GC code smell. The proposed approach that considers combined use of code metrics, is based on two newly proposed code metrics in this paper. The first newly proposed metric is a new approach of measuring the connectivity of a given class with other classes in the system (also termed as coupling). The second newly proposed code metric is proposed to measure the extent to which a given classes make use of foreign member variables. Finally, the proposed approach is also empirically evaluated on two standard open-source commonly used software systems. The obtained result indicates that the proposed approach is capable of correctly identifying the GC code smell

Software development process mining: discovery, conformance checking and enhancement

Context. Modern software projects require the proper allocation of human, technical and financial resources. Very often, project managers make decisions supported only by their personal experience, intuition or simply by mirroring activities performed by others in similar contexts. Most attempts to avoid such practices use models based on lines of code, cyclomatic complexity or effort estimators, thus commonly supported by software repositories which are known to contain several flaws. Objective. Demonstrate the usefulness of process data and mining methods to enhance the software development practices, by assessing efficiency and unveil unknown process insights, thus contributing to the creation of novel models within the software development analytics realm. Method. We mined the development process fragments of multiple developers in three different scenarios by collecting Integrated Development Environment (IDE) events during their development sessions. Furthermore, we used process and text mining to discovery developers’ workflows and their fingerprints, respectively. Results. We discovered and modeled with good quality developers’ processes during programming sessions based on events extracted from their IDEs. We unveiled insights from coding practices in distinct refactoring tasks, built accurate software complexity forecast models based only on process metrics and setup a method for characterizing coherently developers’ behaviors. The latter may ultimately lead to the creation of a catalog of software development process smells. Conclusions. Our approach is agnostic to programming languages, geographic location or development practices, making it suitable for challenging contexts such as in modern global software development projects using either traditional IDEs or sophisticated low/no code platforms.Contexto. Projetos de software modernos requerem a correta alocação de recursos humanos, técnicos e financeiros. Frequentemente, os gestores de projeto tomam decisões suportadas apenas na sua própria experiência, intuição ou simplesmente espelhando atividades executadas por terceiros em contextos similares. As tentativas para evitar tais práticas baseiam-se em modelos que usam linhas de código, a complexidade ciclomática ou em estimativas de esforço, sendo estes tradicionalmente suportados por repositórios de software conhecidos por conterem várias limitações. Objetivo. Demonstrar a utilidade dos dados de processo e respetivos métodos de análise na melhoria das práticas de desenvolvimento de software, colocando o foco na análise da eficiência e revelando aspetos dos processos até então desconhecidos, contribuindo para a criação de novos modelos no contexto de análises avançadas para o desenvolvimento de software. Método. Explorámos os fragmentos de processo de vários programadores em três cenários diferentes, recolhendo eventos durante as suas sessões de desenvolvimento no IDE. Adicionalmente, usámos métodos de descoberta e análise de processos e texto no sentido de modelar o fluxo de trabalho dos programadores e as suas características individuais, respetivamente. Resultados. Descobrimos e modelámos com boa qualidade os processos dos programadores durante as suas sessões de trabalho, usando eventos provenientes dos seus IDEs. Revelámos factos desconhecidos sobre práticas de refabricação, construímos modelos de previsão da complexidade ciclomática usando apenas métricas de processo e criámos um método para caracterizar coerentemente os comportamentos dos programadores. Este último, pode levar à criação de um catálogo de boas/más práticas no processo de desenvolvimento de software. Conclusões. A nossa abordagem é agnóstica em termos de linguagens de programação, localização geográfica ou prática de desenvolvimento, tornando-a aplicável em contextos complexos tal como em projetos modernos de desenvolvimento global que utilizam tanto os IDEs tradicionais como as atuais e sofisticadas plataformas "low/no code"

Design Principles of Mobile Information Systems in the Digital Transformation of the Workplace - Utilization of Smartwatch-based Information Systems in the Corporate Context

During the last decades, smartwatches emerged as an innovative and promising technology and hit the consumer market due to the accessibility of affordable devices and predominant acceptance caused by the considerable similarity to common wristwatches. With the unique characteristics of permanent availability, unobtrusiveness, and hands-free operation, they can provide additional value in the corporate context. Thus, this thesis analyzes use cases for smartwatches in companies, elaborates on the design of smartwatch-based information systems, and covers the usability of smartwatch applications during the development of smartwatch-based information systems. It is composed of three research complexes. The first research complex focuses on the digital assistance of (mobile) employees who have to execute manual work and have been excluded so far from the benefits of the digitalization since they cannot operate hand-held devices. The objective is to design smartwatch-based information systems to support workflows in the corporate context, facilitate the daily work of numerous employees, and make processes more efficient for companies. During a design science research approach, smartwatch-based software artifacts are designed and evaluated in use cases of production, support, security service, as well as logistics, and a nascent design theory is proposed to complement theory according to mobile information system research. The evaluation shows that, on the one hand, smartwatches have enormous potential to assist employees with a fast and ubiquitous exchange of information, instant notifications, collaboration, and workflow guidance while they can be operated incidentally during manual work. On the other hand, the design of smartwatch-based information systems is a crucial factor for successful long-term deployment in companies, and especially limitations according to the small form-factor, general conditions, acceptance of the employees, and legal regulations have to be addressed appropriately. The second research complex addresses smartwatch-based information systems at the office workplace. This broadens and complements the view on the utilization of smartwatches in the corporate context in addition to the mobile context described in the first research complex. Though smartwatches are devices constructed for mobile use, the utilization in low mobile or stationary scenarios also has benefits due they exhibit the characteristic of a wearable computer and are directly connected to the employee’s body. Various sensors can perceive employee-, environment- and therefore context-related information and demand the employees’ attention with proactive notifications that are accompanied by a vibration. Thus, a smartwatch-based and gamified information system for health promotion at the office workplace is designed and evaluated. Research complex three provides a closer look at the topic of usability concerning applications running on smartwatches since it is a crucial factor during the development cycle. As a supporting element for the studies within the first and second research complex, a framework for the usability analysis of smartwatch applications is developed. For research, this thesis contributes a systemization of the state-of-the-art of smartwatch utilization in the corporate context, enabling and inhibiting influence factors of the smartwatch adoption in companies, and design principles as well as a nascent design theory for smartwatch-based information systems to support mobile employees executing manual work. For practice, this thesis contributes possible use cases for smartwatches in companies, assistance in decision-making for the introduction of smartwatch-based information systems in the corporate context with the Smartwatch Applicability Framework, situated implementations of a smartwatch-based information system for typical use cases, design recommendations for smartwatch-based information systems, an implementation of a smartwatch-based information system for the support of mobile employees executing manual work, and a usability-framework for smartwatches to automatically access usability of existing applications providing suggestions for usability improvement

Remote Explosive Scent Tracing REST

Remote Explosive Scent Tracing (REST) is essentially a survey methodology based on using dogs and rats to remotely detect landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). Systems similar to REST have been used in technical survey and mine clearance operations for 20 years, and have been subject to a study conducted by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) since 2000. At that time, REST was considered one of the most promising avenues for speeding up demining operations and making them more cost-efficient, very much in the spirit of the land release concept. The GICHD got involved in the REST project with the aim of developing a fully operational system, based on a well organised research process. It was hoped sufficient scientific evidence would enable operators to use it with a high level of reliability. The use of animal detectors has increased rapidly, but the research to explore and understand the technology has not necessarily kept pace with this expansion, to the point where one can safely say that all variables between animals and their detection targets are fully understood. The REST project has contributed greatly to an increase in this understanding. Although the overall objective has not been reached, the increased knowledge gathered throughout the project has proved valuable in operations with dogs and rats. It has also had tremendous application for research findings outside of mine action. The project brought together people from very different backgrounds, such as chemists, ethologists, psychologists and dog-training specialists. They worked side by side towards the same objective, ie the development of an operational REST concept. This publication provides a summary of historical perspectives and empirical results for various research tracts explored through REST. This could not have been achieved without the support of cooperating partners, individuals, institutions and other supporters who assisted the GICHD and its contractors in our endeavours to better understand animal detection systems

Assessing the utility of a brief Abstinence Test for initiating caffeine abstinence

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world. Although its effects are relatively mild when consumed in moderate amounts, there exist cases where caffeine use is problematic. Currently no behavioral intervention for problematic caffeine consumption exists in which caffeine use is verified beyond self-reports. No measures of caffeine dependence and withdrawal exist either. The current study examined the viability of contingency management, an empirically supported behavioral intervention for reducing drug use, for initiating abstinence from caffeine consumption among college students of varying levels of use, as well as validity evidence for novel measures of caffeine dependence and withdrawal. Participants (N = 39) came in to the lab for 3 experimental sessions in an ABA design over the course of 5 to 7 days to complete the AUTOC, CWS, and SCEWS and to provide saliva samples. During the BAT participants could earn a higher magnitude reward ($20) for abstaining from caffeine. 95% of participants met criteria for abstinence during the BAT. The ELISA appeared to work at an aggregate level, though individual samples were inconsistent enough to prevent these results from being used as a criterion for caffeine abstinence. AUTOC, CWS, and SCEWS scores functioned moderately well for measuring caffeine dependence and withdrawal. These results indicate CM of caffeine use may be effective for intervening with problematic caffeine consumption