Exploring software systems

Software evolution is required to keep a software system in sync with the ever-changing needs of the system´s users and environment. An unfortunate side-effect of evolution is that it often causes the knowledge about a system to degrade, which in turn impedes further evolution. In the dissertation, we investigate techniques and tools that help remedy this situation by supporting the exploration of a software system and improving its legibility (Moonen, 2002). We examine the analogy with urban exploration and present innovative techniques for the extraction, abstraction, and presentation of information needed for understanding software.