Improving Usability of Software Refactoring Tools

Speaker: Erica Mealy

When: 10:00, Tuesday, 2 April 2007

Venue: 78-622

Post-deployment maintenance and evolution can account for up to 75% of the cost of developing a software system. Software refactoring can reduce the costs associated with evolution by improving system quality. Although the refactoring process is well-defined, current refactoring tools do not support the full process. This seminar presents an application of Nielsen's Usability Engineering Life Cycle to Software refactoring tools to improve usability and better support the full process of software refactoring. This application includes the definition of software refactoring using ISO 9241-11, an analysis of automation and task allocation, the collation, distillation and application of usability guidelines, the development of usability requirements, and the evaluation of four existing software refactoring tools to allow the selection of requirements for a new prototype semi-automated software refactoring tool.

Hospitality: David Carrington

Contact: Robert Colvin (SSE seminar co-ordinator) (robert@itee.uq.edu.au)

SSE seminar web page: http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~sse/Seminars.html