Data-Driven Software Engineering

Specialized tools, such as IDEs, issue trackers, and code review tools, are an indispensable part of the modern software engineering process. These tools are constantly evolving. Besides enabling tools to support a wider range of technologies and frameworks, we are learning to provide additional features in completely new ways. One prominent...

Pandemic programming: How COVID-19 affects software developers and how their organizations can help

Context: As a novel coronavirus swept the world in early 2020, thousands of software developers began working from home. Many did so on short notice, under difficult and stressful conditions.<br/><br/>Objective: This study investigates the effects of the pandemic on developers’ wellbeing and productivity.<br/><br/>Method: A questionnaire survey...

PathMiner: A library for mining of path-based representations of code

One recent, significant advance in modeling source code for machine learning algorithms has been the introduction of path-based representation - an approach consisting in representing a snippet of code as a collection of paths from its syntax tree. Such representation efficiently captures the structure of code, which, in turn, carries its...

Does reviewer recommendation help developers?

Selecting reviewers for code changes is a critical step for an efficient code review process. Recent studies propose automated reviewer recommendation algorithms to support developers in this task. However, the evaluation of recommendation algorithms, when done apart from their target systems and users (i.e., code review tools and change...

Code review for newcomers: Is it different?

Onboarding is a critical stage in the tenure of software developers with a project, because meaningful contribution requires familiarity with the codebase. Some software teams employ practices, such as mentoring, to help new developers get accustomed faster. Code review, i.e., the manual inspection of code changes, is an opportunity for...

Mining File Histories: Should we consider branches?

Modern distributed version control systems, such as Git, offer support for branching — the possibility to develop parts of software outside the master trunk. Consideration of the repository structure in Mining Software Repository (MSR) studies requires a thorough approach to mining, but there is no well-documented, widespread methodology...

RadioAstron gravitational redshift experiment: status update

A test of a cornerstone of general relativity, the gravitational redshift effect, is currently being conducted with the RadioAstron spacecraft, which is on a highly eccentric orbit around Earth. Using ground radio telescopes to record the spacecraft signal, synchronized to its ultra-stable on-board H-maser, we can probe the varying flow of time...

Evaluation of some features for extended target extraction in polarimetric and non-polarimetric radar

Detection in most surveillance radars is based on the condition of point targets against a more or less homogeneous background. Currently, the resolution of many new types of radar is increasing, at least in the range dimension. Therefore many objects can no longer be considered as points. Also as a consequence, the background is becoming more...

Advanced GPR data processing algorithms for detection of anti-personnel landmines

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is seen as one of several promising technologies aimed to help mine detection. GPR is sensitive to any inhomogeneity in the ground. Therefore any APM regardless of the metal content can be detected. On the other hand, all the inhomogeneities, which do not represent mines, show up as a clutter in GPR images....