SArF Map: Visualizing Software Architecture from Feature and Layer Viewpoints
Abstract
To facilitate understanding the architecture of a software system, we developed SArF Map technique that visualizes software architecture from feature and layer viewpoints using a city metaphor. SArF Map visualizes implicit software features using our previous study, SArF dependency-based software clustering algorithm. Since features are high-level abstraction units of software, a generated map can be directly used for high-level decision making such as reuse and also for communications between developers and non-developer stakeholders. In SArF Map, each feature is visualized as a city block, and classes in the feature are laid out as buildings reflecting their software layer. Relevance between features is represented as streets. Dependency links are visualized lucidly. Through open source and industrial case studies, we show that the architecture of the target systems can be easily overviewed and that the quality of their packaging designs can be quickly assessed.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1306.0958,
title = {SArF Map: Visualizing Software Architecture from Feature and Layer Viewpoints},
author = {Kenichi Kobayashi and Manabu Kamimura and Keisuke Yano and Koki Kato and Akihiko Matsuo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1306.0958},
year = {2013}
}
Comments
10 pages, 16 figures, 2 tables. This is the accepted version of a paper presented at the 21st IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC2013), San Francisco, CA, USA, May 2013, pp.43-52