Code Quality Defects in Introductory Programming

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14330%2F25%3A00143414" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14330/25:00143414 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3749996" target="_blank" >https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3749996</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3749996" target="_blank" >10.1145/3749996</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Code Quality Defects in Introductory Programming

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Code quality is a critical aspect of programming, as high-quality code is easier to maintain, and code maintenance constitutes the majority of software costs. Consequently, code quality should be emphasized in programming education. While previous research has identified numerous code quality defects commonly made by students, the current state lacks a clear organization and prioritization of these defects. In this work, we systematically address code quality defects in introductory programming from multiple perspectives. We present a comprehensive catalog of over 100 specific defects, organized through a structured classification of defect types and their associated programming constructs, along with an importance ranking. We conducted a survey among computer science educators regarding the severity of various defects. Our findings indicate that while individual opinions vary, there is general consensus on many code quality issues. We also review automated methods for detecting code quality defects and introduce a novel tool with extensive defect coverage. Finally, we analyze the prevalence of these defects using multiple datasets and prevalence metrics, demonstrating the importance of contextual interpretation when evaluating defect prevalence.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Code Quality Defects in Introductory Programming

Popis výsledku anglicky

Code quality is a critical aspect of programming, as high-quality code is easier to maintain, and code maintenance constitutes the majority of software costs. Consequently, code quality should be emphasized in programming education. While previous research has identified numerous code quality defects commonly made by students, the current state lacks a clear organization and prioritization of these defects. In this work, we systematically address code quality defects in introductory programming from multiple perspectives. We present a comprehensive catalog of over 100 specific defects, organized through a structured classification of defect types and their associated programming constructs, along with an importance ranking. We conducted a survey among computer science educators regarding the severity of various defects. Our findings indicate that while individual opinions vary, there is general consensus on many code quality issues. We also review automated methods for detecting code quality defects and introduce a novel tool with extensive defect coverage. Finally, we analyze the prevalence of these defects using multiple datasets and prevalence metrics, demonstrating the importance of contextual interpretation when evaluating defect prevalence.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10201 - Computer sciences, information science, bioinformathics (hardware development to be 2.2, social aspect to be 5.8)

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

ACM Transactions on Computing Education

ISSN

1946-6226

e-ISSN

1946-6226

Svazek periodika

25

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

4

Stát vydavatele periodika

US - Spojené státy americké

Počet stran výsledku

32

Strana od-do

1-32

Kód UT WoS článku

001615773900009

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105020854398