Towards a theory of the comprehension of computer programs

摘要: A sufficiency theory is presented of the process by which a computer programmer attempts to comprehend program. The intended explain four sources variation in behavior on this task: kind computation program performs, intrinsic properties text, such as language and documentation, reason for documentation needed, differences among individuals performing task. starting point an analysis structure knowledge required when comprehended views being organized into distinct domains bridge between original problem final comprehension one reconstructing about these relationship them. This reconstruction theorized be top-down, hypothesis driven initially vague general refined elaborated based inf ormation extracted from text other documentation.