Talk given at ICSE 2010 Abstract: The feature list of modern IDEs is steadily growing and mastering these tools becomes more and more demanding, especially for novice programmers. Despite their remarkable capabilities, IDEs often still cannot directly answer the questions that arise during program comprehension tasks. Instead developers have to map their questions to multiple concrete queries that can be answered only by combining several tools and examining the output of each of them manually to distill an appropriate answer. Existing approaches have in common that they are either limited to a set of predefined, hardcoded questions, or that they require to learn a specific query language only suitable for that limited purpose. We present a framework to query for information about a software system using guided-input natural language resembling plain English. For that, we model data extracted by classical software analysis tools with an OWL ontology and use knowledge processing technologies from the Semantic Web to query it. We use a case study to demonstrate how our framework can be used to answer queries about static source code information for program comprehension purposes.

1. Talking to your
IDE
Supporting Developers with Guided-Input Natural
Language Queries
Michael Würsch, Giacomo Ghezzi, Gerald Reif, Harald C.
Gall
University of Zurich, Switzerland
University of Zurich
Department of Informatics software evolution & architecture lab

3. Software
Maintenance

4. Software
Maintenance
Junior Dev

5. Software
Maintenance
Junior Dev
Feature-rich IDEs

7. What fields are declared as
being of this type?
Which classes inherit from this class?
oes this type have any siblings?
Where in the type
What are the
hierarchy is this
field declared?
arguments of this
function?
Who implements this interface?
I wonder whether this method is somewhere
overridden.
What are the callers of this
method?
‣J. Silito, G. C. Murphy, K. De Volder, Asking and Answering Questions during a Programming Change Task, IEEE
TSE ’08.
‣

8. What fields are declared as
being of this type?

9. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

10. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

11. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

12. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

13. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

14. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

15. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

16. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

17. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

18. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

19. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

20. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

21. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

22. What fields are declared as being of the type JTextField?

23. What fields are declared as
being of this type?

24. What fields are declared as
being of this type?
Simple
question!

25. What fields are declared as
being of this type?
Not so
simple
answer!

26. Using Natural Language to
express Information Needs
“The most comfortable way for a user
to express an information need is as
a natural language statement”
G. G. Chowdhury. Introduction to Modern Information Retrieval, 2004.
‣ No need to learn a specific syntax
‣ No mapping of conceptual query to a
concrete tool necessary

27. What fields are declared as being of the type String?

28. What fields are declared as being of the type String?

29. State of the Art:
Predefined Queries
‣ IDEs: Eclipse, NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA
‣ Research Tools: Ferret1
[1] B. de Alwis and G. C. Murphy, Answering Conceptual Queries with Ferret. ICSE
’08

30. State of the Art:
Query Languages
‣ JQuery from Method caller, Method callee
‣ ASTLog
where caller.calls(callee)
and caller.fromSource()
and callee.fromSource()
‣
and caller != callee
CodeQuest and callee.getName().matches("addChart%")
select caller.getName()
‣ Semmle
http://www.semmle.com

31. Natural Language Queries powered by
Semantic Web Technology
‣ The range of possible queries should
mostly depend on the data available,
not on predefined query structures.
‣ Developers should be able to
formulate queries in (guided-
input)natural language.

32. Query
Layer Architecture
Ginseng
e
e
e
Ontology
e
Ontology for Source Other
Layer
Code Analysis Ontologies
Data Layer
Other Data
FAMIX
Models
Persistency Layer
Evolizer Hibernate Layer
www.evolizer.org
Evolizer Release History Database

33. FAMIX Core Model
superclass
belongsToClass
Class
subclass
belongsToClass
invokedBy
InheritanceDefinition Method Attribute
invokes accessedIn accesses
Invocation Access
S. Tichelaar, S. Ducasse, and S. Demeyer. Famix and Xmi. WCRE
’00

34. The Semantic Web in a
Nutshell
Meta-data to describe the semantics
of data in a machine-processable
way by the means of ontologies:
‣ Classes: JavaClass, JavaMethod
‣ Relationships: declares Method
‣ Properties: has Identifier

35. The Semantic Web:
RDF
S→P→O
Class A → hasMethod → Method B

36. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B

37. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B

38. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B

39. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B
↓
callsMethod

40. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B
↓
callsMethod
↓
Method D

41. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B
↓
callsMethod
↓
isMethodOf ← Method D

42. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B
↓
callsMethod
↓
Class E ← isMethodOf ← Method D

43. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B
↑ ↓
inverseOf callsMethod
↑ ↓
Class E ← isMethodOf ← Method D

44. The Semantic Web:
RDF
Class A → hasMethod → Method B
↑ ↑ ↓
isSiblingOf inverseOf callsMethod
↑ ↑ ↓
Class E ← isMethodOf ← Method D

45. Evolizer Ontology for
Source Code Analysis
OWL Class: Class OWL Class: Method
→ hasMethod Method → accessesAttribute Attribute
→ hasAttribute Attribute → hasParameter Parameter
→ isReturnTypeOfMethod Method → invokesMethod Method
→ isSubclassOfClass Class → hasReturnType Class
→ isSuperclassOfClass Class → isInvokedByMethod Method
→ hasName String → isMethodOfClass Class
→ hasName String
OWL Class: Attribute OWL Class: Parameter
→ isAttributeOfClass Class → isParameterOfMethod Method
→ isAccessedByMethod Method → hasName String
→ hasName String

46. Evolizer Ontology for
Source Code Analysis
OWL Class: Class OWL Class: Method
→ hasMethod Method → accessesAttribute Attribute
→ hasAttribute Attribute → hasParameter Parameter
→ isReturnTypeOfMethod Method → invokesMethod Method
→ isSubclassOfClass Class → hasReturnType Class
→ isSuperclassOfClass Class → isInvokedByMethod Method
→ hasName String → isMethodOfClass Class
→ hasName String
Domain
OWL Class: Attribute OWL Class: Parameter
→ isAttributeOfClass Class → isParameterOfMethod Method
→ isAccessedByMethod Method → hasName String
→ hasName String

47. Evolizer Ontology for
Source Code Analysis
OWL Class: Class OWL Class: Method
→ hasMethod Method → accessesAttribute Attribute
→ hasAttribute Attribute → hasParameter Parameter
→ isReturnTypeOfMethod Method → invokesMethod Method
→ isSubclassOfClass Class → hasReturnType Class
→ isSuperclassOfClass Class → isInvokedByMethod Method
→ hasName String → isMethodOfClass Class
→ hasName String
Domain
OWL Class: Attribute OWL Class: Parameter
→ isAttributeOfClass Class → isParameterOfMethod Method
→ isAccessedByMethod Method → hasName String
→ hasName String
Range

48. Example: RDF Graph
evo:Method
rdf:type
evo:Class evo:method5 evo:hasName
rdf:type getTitleText
evo:hasMethod
evo:class123
evo:hasName evo:hasMethod
evo:Method
rdf:type
DefaultTitleEditor evo:method6 evo:hasName
getTitleFont

49. The Ontology Layer:
General Approach
@rdf("evo:Class")
public class FAMIXClass {
@rdf("evo:hasName")
public String getName() {
// ...
evo:Method
} rdf:type
evo:Class evo:method5 evo:hasName
@rdf("evo:hasMethod")
rdf:type getTitleText
public Set<FAMIXMethod> getMethods() { evo:hasMethod
// ... evo:class123
} evo:hasName evo:hasMethod
evo:Method
rdf:type
DefaultTitleEditor evo:method6
/* attributes, setter methods, and evo:hasName
additional behaviour */ getTitleFont
}

50. The Ontology Layer:
The Relational View
superclass
belongsToClass
Class
subclass
belongsToClass
invokedBy
InheritanceDefinition Method Attribute
invokes accessedIn accesses
Invocation Access

51. The Ontology Layer:
The Relational View
superclass
belongsToClass
Class
subclass
belongsToClass
invokedBy
InheritanceDefinition Method Attribute
invokes accessedIn accesses
Invocation Access

52. The Ontology Layer:
The S-P-O View
evo:Method
rdf:type
evo:Class evo:method5 evo:hasName
rdf:type getTitleText
evo:hasMethod
evo:class1
evo:hasName evo:hasMethod
evo:Method
rdf:type
DefaultTitleEditor evo:method6 evo:hasName
getTitleFont
evo:subClass
evo:inheritance123
evo:Class
evo:superClass
rdf:type
rdf:type
evo:Inheritance
evo:class2
evo:hasName
JPanel

53. The Ontology Layer:
The S-P-O View
evo:Method
rdf:type
evo:Class evo:method5 evo:hasName
rdf:type getTitleText
evo:hasMethod
evo:class1
evo:hasName evo:hasMethod
evo:Method
rdf:type
DefaultTitleEditor evo:method6 evo:hasName
getTitleFont
evo:subClass
evo:inheritance123
evo:Class
evo:superClass
rdf:type
rdf:type
evo:Inheritance
evo:class2
evo:hasName
JPanel

54. The Ontology Layer:
The S-P-O View
evo:Method
rdf:type
evo:Class evo:method5 evo:hasName
evo:class1
rdf:type getTitleText
evo:hasMethod
evo:class1
evo:hasName evo:hasMethod
evo:Method
rdf:type
DefaultTitleEditor evo:method6 evo:hasName
getTitleFont
evo:subClass
evo:hasSuperClass
evo:inheritance123
evo:Class
evo:superClass
rdf:type
rdf:type
evo:Inheritance
evo:class2
evo:hasName
evo:class2
JPanel

55. The Ontology Layer:
The S-P-O View
evo:Method
rdf:type
evo:Class evo:method5 evo:hasName
evo:class1
rdf:type getTitleText
evo:hasMethod
evo:class1
evo:hasName evo:hasMethod
evo:Method
rdf:type
DefaultTitleEditor evo:method6 evo:hasName
getTitleFont
evo:subClass
evo:hasSuperClass
evo:inheritance123
evo:Class
evo:superClass
rdf:type
rdf:type
evo:Inheritance
evo:class2
evo:hasName
evo:class2
JPanel

56. The Ontology Layer:
Flexible Mappings
@rdf(
isPredicate=true,
value= "evo:hasSuperClass"
) evo:class1
public class Inheritance {
@subject
public FAMIXClass getSubclass() {
// ...
}
evo:hasSuperClass
@object
public FAMIXClass getSuperclass() {
// ...
}
/* attributes, setter methods, and
additional behaviour */ evo:class2
}

57. The Ontology Layer:
Flexible Mappings
@rdf(
isPredicate=true,
value= "evo:hasSuperClass"
) evo:class1
public class Inheritance {
@subject
public FAMIXClass getSubclass() {
// ...
}
evo:hasSuperClass
@object
public FAMIXClass getSuperclass() {
// ...
}
/* attributes, setter methods, and
additional behaviour */ evo:class2
}

58. The Ontology Layer:
Flexible Mappings
@rdf(
isPredicate=true,
value= "evo:hasSuperClass"
) evo:class1
public class Inheritance {
@subject
public FAMIXClass getSubclass() {
// ...
}
evo:hasSuperClass
@object
public FAMIXClass getSuperclass() {
// ...
}
/* attributes, setter methods, and
additional behaviour */ evo:class2
}

59. The Ontology Layer:
Flexible Mappings
@rdf(
isPredicate=true,
value= "evo:hasSuperClass"
) evo:class1
public class Inheritance {
@subject
public FAMIXClass getSubclass() {
// ...
}
evo:hasSuperClass
@object
public FAMIXClass getSuperclass() {
// ...
}
/* attributes, setter methods, and
additional behaviour */ evo:class2
}

60. The Query Layer:
Ginseng
A. Bernstein, E. Kaufmann, C. Kaiser, and C. Kiefer. Ginseng: A Guided Input
Natural Language Search Engine for Querying Ontologies. Jena User Conf ’06.

61. Ginseng Grammar
## E.g., "what methods call (method) m?"
## "what classes are in (package) p?"
<Q> ::= What <S> <P> <O> ?
<S> ::= ...
<P> ::= ...
<O> ::= ...

62. Ginseng Grammar
## E.g., "what methods call (method) m?"
## "what classes are in (package) p?"
<Q> ::= What <S> <P> <O> ?
<S> ::= ...
<P> ::= ...
<O> ::= ...
Classe

63. Ginseng Grammar
## E.g., "what methods call (method) m?"
## "what classes are in (package) p?"
<Q> ::= What <S> <P> <O> ?
<S> ::= ...
<P> ::= ...
<O> ::= ...
Classe Propertie

64. Ginseng Grammar
## E.g., "what methods call (method) m?"
## "what classes are in (package) p?"
<Q> ::= What <S> <P> <O> ?
<S> ::= ...
<P> ::= ...
<O> ::= ...
Instance
Classe Propertie

65. Proof of Concept Validation
‣ JEdit, ~250kLOC
‣ 36 common program
comprehension questions1
‣ We are currently preparing a full user
study
[1] taken from B. de Alwis and G. C. Murphy, Answering Conceptual Queries with Ferret. ICSE
’08

66. Validation Overview
static dynamic evolution plug-ins
inter-class Out of 36 Questions:
20 can be
intra-class ✔ answered right
away
inheritance
✘ 9 can not be
answered
declarations
7 can be
evolution
answered, with
limitations

67. Validation Overview
static dynamic evolution plug-ins
inter-class Out of 36 Questions:
20 can be
intra-class ✔ answered right
away
inheritance
✘ 9 can not be
answered
declarations
7 can be
evolution
answered, with
limitations

68. Validation Overview
static dynamic evolution plug-ins
inter-class Out of 36 Questions:
20 can be
intra-class ✔ answered right
away
inheritance
✘ 9 can not be
answered
declarations
7 can be
evolution
answered, with
limitations

69. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (inter-class)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What methods return instances of this type? ✔
What methods instantiate this type?
What methods take an argument of this type? ✔
What fields are declared as being of this type? ✔
What calls this method? ✔
Where is the value of this field retrieved?
Where is the value of this field set?
What tests instanceof against this type? ✔
Where are casts to this type? ✔
What throws exceptions of this type? ✔
What catches exceptions of this type? ✔
What references this type by name? ✔
Which of the classes in this package were actually used? ✘
Which methods defined by this class were actually used? ✘

70. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (inter-class)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What methods return instances of this type? ✔
What Methods instantiate this type?
What methods instantiate this type?
What methods take an argument of this type? ✔
What fields are declared as being of this type? ✔
What calls this method? ✔
Where is the value of this field retrieved?
Where is the value of this field set?
What tests instanceof against this type? ✔
Where are casts to this type? ✔
What throws exceptions of this type? ✔
What catches exceptions of this type? ✔
What references this type by name? ✔
Which of the classes in this package were actually used? ✘
Which methods defined by this class were actually used? ✘

71. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (inter-class)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What methods return instances of this type? ✔
What methods instantiate this type?
What methods take an argument of this type? ✔
What fields are declared as being of this type? ✔
What calls this method? ✔
Where is the value of this field retrieved?
Where is the value of this field set?
What tests instanceof against this type? ✔
Where are casts to this type? ✔
What throws exceptions of this type? ✔
What catches exceptions of this type? ✔
What references this type by name? ✔
Which of the classes in this package were actually used? ✘
Which methods defined by this class were actually used? ✘

72. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (inter-class)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What methods return instances of this type? ✔
What methods instantiate this type?
What methods take an argument of this type? ✔
What fields are declared as being of this type? ✔
What calls this method? ✔
Where is the value of this field
Where is the value of this field retrieved?
retrieved?
Where is the value of this field set?
Where is the value of this field set?
What tests instanceof against this type? ✔
Where are casts to this type? ✔
What throws exceptions of this type? ✔
What catches exceptions of this type? ✔
What references this type by name? ✔
Which of the classes in this package were actually used? ✘
Which methods defined by this class were actually used? ✘

73. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (inter-class)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What methods return instances of this type? ✔
What methods instantiate this type?
What methods take an argument of this type? ✔
What fields are declared as being of this type? ✔
What calls this method? ✔
Where is the value of this field retrieved?
Where is the value of this field set?
What tests instanceof against this type? ✔
Where are casts to this type? ✔
What throws exceptions of this type? ✔
What catches exceptions of this type? ✔
What references this type by name? ✔
Which of the classes in this package were actually used? ✘
Which methods defined by this class were actually used? ✘

74. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (inter-class)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What methods return instances of this type? ✔
What methods instantiate this type?
What methods take an argument of this type? ✔
What fields are declared as being of this type? ✔
What calls this method? ✔
Where is the value of this field retrieved?
Where is the value of this field set?
What tests instanceof against this type? ✔
Where are casts to this type? ✔
What throws exceptions of this type? ✔
What catches exceptions of this type? ✔
What references this type by name? ✔
Which of the classes in this package were actually used?
Which of the classes in this package were actually used? ✘
Which methods defined by this class were actually
Which methods defined by this class were actually used?
used? ✘

75. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (inter-class)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What methods return instances of this type? ✔
What methods instantiate this type?
What methods take an argument of this type? ✔
What fields are declared as being of this type? ✔
What calls this method? ✔
Where is the value of this field retrieved?
Where is the value of this field set?
What tests instanceof against this type? ✔
Where are casts to this type? ✔
What throws exceptions of this type? ✔
What catches exceptions of this type? ✔
What references this type by name? ✔
Which of the classes in this package were actually used? ✘
Which methods defined by this class were actually used? ✘

76. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (intra-class)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What fields does this type or method access? ✔
What methods does this type or method call? ✔
What types does this type or method reference? ✔
(Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (inheritance)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What interfaces does this type implement? ✔
What are this class’ subclasses? ✔
What classes implement this interface? ✔
What interfaces extend this interface? ✔
What are this type’s siblings? ✔

77. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (declarations)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What are all the fields are declared by this type? ✔
What class methods implement this interface method?
What interface methods specify this class method?
What class methods does this method override?
What class methods override this method?
What extension points or extensions reference this [type, file, ✘
folder]?
What types is this type adaptable to? ✘
What types could this type have be adapted from? ✘
What extensions are there of this extension point? ✘
What plug-ins depend on this plug-in? ✘
(Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (evolution)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What transactions changed this element? ✘
Who has changed this element, and when? ✘
What elements were changed in this transaction? ✘
What files were changed in this transaction? ✘

78. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (declarations)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What are all the fields are declared by this type? ✔
What class methods implement this interface method?
What interface methods specify this class method?
What class methods does this method override?
What class methods override this method?
What extension points or extensions reference this [type, file, ✘
folder]?
What types is this type adaptable to? ✘
What types could this type have be adapted from? ✘
What extensions are there of this extension point? ✘
What plug-ins depend on depend on
What plug-ins this plug-in? this plug-in? ✘
(Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (evolution)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What transactions changed this element? ✘
Who has changed this element, and when? ✘
What elements were changed in this transaction? ✘
What files were changed in this transaction? ✘

79. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (declarations)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What are all the fields are declared by this type? ✔
What class methods implement this interface method?
What interface methods specify this class method?
What class methods does this method override?
What class methods override this method?
What extension points or extensions reference this [type, file, ✘
folder]?
What types is this type adaptable to? ✘
What types could this type have be adapted from? ✘
What extensions are there of this extension point? ✘
What plug-ins depend on this plug-in? ✘
(Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (evolution)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What transactions changed this element? ✘
Who has changed this element, and when? ✘
What elements were changed in this transaction? ✘
What files were changed in this transaction? ✘

80. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (declarations)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What are all the fields are declared by this type? ✔
What class methods implement this interface method?
What interface methods specify this class method?
What class methods does this method override?
What class methods override this method?
What extension points or extensions reference this [type, file, ✘
folder]?
What types is this type adaptable to? ✘
What types could this type have be adapted from? ✘
What extensions are there of this extension point? ✘
What plug-ins depend on this plug-in? ✘
(Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (evolution)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What transactions changed this element? ✘
Who has changed this element, and
Who has changed this element, and when? ✘
when?
What elements were changed in this transaction? ✘
What files were changed in this transaction? ✘

81. (Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (declarations)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What are all the fields are declared by this type? ✔
What class methods implement this interface method?
What interface methods specify this class method?
What class methods does this method override?
What class methods override this method?
What extension points or extensions reference this [type, file, ✘
folder]?
What types is this type adaptable to? ✘
What types could this type have be adapted from? ✘
What extensions are there of this extension point? ✘
What plug-ins depend on this plug-in? ✘
(Guided-Input) Natural
Conceptual Query in Ferret (evolution)
Language Queries in Evolizer
What transactions changed this element? ✘
Who has changed this element, and when? ✘
What elements were changed in this transaction? ✘
What files were changed in this transaction? ✘

82. Conclusions
‣ Semantic Web/Ontologies are
valuable for describing SE data
‣ Our (guided-input) NL approach
provides a single point of entry for
program comprehension tasks
within an IDE

83. What fields are declared as Architecture
being of this type?
Which classes inherit from this class?
Query
Does this type have any siblings?
Layer
Ginseng
What are the
Ontology
Ontology for Source Other
Layer
Where in the type
hierarchy is this arguments of this Code Analysis Ontologies
field declared?
function?
Data Layer
Other Data
FAMIX
Models
Who implements this interface?
Persistency Layer
Evolizer Hibernate Layer
I wonder whether this method is somewhere
overridden.
What are the callers of this method? Evolizer Release History Database
‣ J. Silito, G. C. Murphy, K. De Volder, Asking and Answering Questions during a Programming Change Task, IEEE TSE ’08.
‣ B. de Alwis and G. C. Murphy, Answering Conceptual Queries with Ferret. ICSE ‘08.
Evolizer Ontology for The Query Layer:
Source Code Analysis Ginseng
OWL Class: Class OWL Class: Method
→ hasMethod Method → accessesAttribute Attribute
→ hasAttribute Attribute → hasParameter Parameter
→ isReturnTypeOfMethod Method → invokesMethod Method
→ isSubclassOfClass Class → hasReturnType Class
→ isSuperclassOfClass Class → isInvokedByMethod Method
→ hasName String → isMethodOfClass Class
→ hasName String
OWL Class: Attribute OWL Class: Parameter
→ isAttributeOfClass Class → isParameterOfMethod Method
→ isAccessedByMethod Method → hasName String
→ hasName String
A. Bernstein, E. Kaufmann, C. Kaiser, and C. Kiefer. Ginseng: A Guided Input
Natural Language Search Engine for Querying Ontologies. Jena User Conf ’06.

84. What fields are declared as Architecture
being of this type?
Which classes inherit from this class?
Query
Does this type have any siblings?
Layer
Ginseng
What are the
Ontology
Ontology for Source Other
Layer
Where in the type
hierarchy is this arguments of this Code Analysis Ontologies
field declared?
function?
Data Layer
Other Data
FAMIX
Models
Who implements this interface?
Persistency Layer
Evolizer Hibernate Layer
I wonder whether this method is somewhere
s?
overridden.
What are the callers of this method?
on
Evolizer Release History Database
ti
‣ J. Silito, G. C. Murphy, K. De Volder, Asking and Answering Questions during a Programming Change Task, IEEE TSE ’08.
‣ B. de Alwis and G. C. Murphy, Answering Conceptual Queries with Ferret. ICSE ‘08.
es
Evolizer Ontology for Qu The Query Layer:
Source Code Analysis Ginseng
OWL Class: Class OWL Class: Method
→ hasMethod Method → accessesAttribute Attribute
→ hasAttribute Attribute → hasParameter Parameter
→ isReturnTypeOfMethod Method → invokesMethod Method
→ isSubclassOfClass Class → hasReturnType Class
→ isSuperclassOfClass Class → isInvokedByMethod Method
→ hasName String → isMethodOfClass Class
→ hasName String
OWL Class: Attribute OWL Class: Parameter
→ isAttributeOfClass Class → isParameterOfMethod Method
→ isAccessedByMethod Method → hasName String
→ hasName String
A. Bernstein, E. Kaufmann, C. Kaiser, and C. Kiefer. Ginseng: A Guided Input
Natural Language Search Engine for Querying Ontologies. Jena User Conf ’06.

85. Software Evolution
Ontology
Version Control Ontology ver:File ver:Revision ver:Person
rdf:type rdf:type rdf:type
ver:commits
DefaultTitleEditor.java ver:file123 ver:revision123 ver:developer123
ver:hasName ver:hasRevision
ver:hasNumber ver:hasName
ver:containsClass 1.2 mwuersch
evo:Method
132 rdf:type
evo:Class evo:method5 evo:hasName
issue:hasNumber
rdf:type evo:hasMethod getTitleText
issue:bug12 evo:class123
issue:affectsClass evo:hasName evo:hasMethod evo:Method
rdf:type rdf:type
DefaultTitleEditor evo:method6 evo:hasName
issue:Issue
getTitleFont
Issue Tracking Ontology Code Ontology

86. OWL Rules
Class A Class B
declares declares
Method X Method Y
invokes

87. OWL Rules
Class A Class B
uses
declares declares
Method X Method Y
invokes