Workshop on graphical documentation for programmers: assessing the efficacy of UML diagrams for program understanding

Programmers often use graphical forms of documentation that rely on software visualization techniques to make complicated information easier to understand. However, it is an open question exactly which types of graphical documentation are most suitable for which types of program understanding tasks (and in which specific usage contexts). The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is the de facto standard for modeling modern software applications. This paper focuses on discussing techniques for the efficacy of UML diagrams in aid of program understanding. The majority of the workshop will involve participants analyzing a series of UML diagrams and answering a detailed questionnaire concerning a hypothetical software system.