Improving Flow in Software Development through Graphical Representations

Software development is both a challenging and highly enjoyable activity. The right tools enhance the creative process and improve quality. There are many sophisticated industrial tools to support programmers. Many of these tools use simple, yet highly effective, graphical aids to enhance program understanding tasks. However, a programmer\´s sense of creativity and achievement is often hampered by tools that do not appropriately support their work. For example, the inability to find a file, program artifact or feature in the environment can be very disruptive. Moreover, many industrial tools lack advanced graphical features that could improve navigation in, and comprehension of, large programs. In this presentation, the author borrowed one such theory called "flow - the psychology of optimal experience" to offer rich explanations for the existence of many typical software tool features. Practical applications of this theory include the identification of areas for improvements in tool support. Specifically, the author focuses on how interactive graphical representations, developed in academia, can help improve "flow" for programmers using industrial development tools