Improving source code navigation with patchworks

Abstract

Programmers spend a considerable amount of time navigating among many code fragments that may be spread across hundreds or even thousands of files. For example, one study found that programmers spent 35% of their time navigating. Another study showed that 50% of programmers' time was spent foraging for information. The author's work aims to increase programmer productivity through the design of new code editors and tools to speed up source code navigation. It proposes a new tool concept known as Patchworks. In particular, Patchworks aims to allow programmers to conveniently juxtapose code, to efficiently navigate recently visited code fragments, to significantly reduce scrolling, and to reduce the time spent arranging code.