Code Drones
This proposes a foundational shift in software engineering by enabling automated solutions to development and maintenance problems, though it is conceptual without empirical validation.
The paper introduces Code Drones, a new paradigm where software artifacts like classes are intelligent and socially active entities that autonomously collaborate to address software engineering challenges such as API migration and testing, aiming to guide their own self-improvement.
We propose and explore a new paradigm called Code Drones in which every software artifact such as a class is an intelligent and socially active entity. In this paradigm, humanized artifacts take the lead and choreograph (socially, in collaboration with other intelligent software artifacts and humans) automated software engineering solutions to a myriad of development and maintenance challenges, including API migration, reuse, documentation, testing, patching, and refactoring. We discuss the implications of having social and intelligent/cognitive software artifacts that guide their own self-improvement.