SArF Map: Visualizing Software Architecture from Feature and Layer Viewpoints
This addresses the need for high-level decision-making and communication in software development, but it is incremental as it builds on previous clustering algorithms.
The researchers tackled the problem of understanding software architecture by developing SArF Map, a visualization technique using a city metaphor to represent features and layers, which enabled easy overview and quick assessment of packaging designs in case studies.
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.