An Overview of Tools for Collecting Data on Software Development and Debugging Processes from Integrated Development Environments

Abstract

Purpose. This paper presents the findings of a review of the literature published in the twenty-first century in order to identify and analyze the current state of tools that track developer interactions with integrated development environments, as well as to recommend future research directions based on the actual state. Methodology. By systematically searching in five digital libraries we conducted a systematic review of the literature on data collection tools from integrated development environments published in the twenty-first century. Fifty-five papers were selected as primary studies. Findings. 55 articles were analyzed and the findings show that using an integrated development environment to collect usage data provides more insight into developer activities than it was previously possible. Usage data allows us to analyze how developers spend their time. With usage data, you can learn more about how developers create mental models, investigate code, conduct mini-experiments through trial and error, and what can help everyone improve performance. The research community continues to be highly active in developing tools to track developer activity. The findings indicate that more research is needed in this area to better understand and measure programmer behavior. Originality. For the first time, systematization and analysis of tools for tracking programmer's behavior in an integrated development environment have been carried out. Practical value. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the current state of research on programmer behavior in integrated development environments. An analysis of the study can help define a research agenda as a starting point for the creation of a novel practical tool.