Spreadsheets, programs developed by end-user programmers, are used for a variety of important tasks and decisions. However, as the literature indicates, a significant proportion of spreadsheets contain faults. One of the difficulties in understanding and debugging spreadsheets is the invisibility of data dependencies associated with cell formulas. To address this issue, we developed a graph based visualization tool based on the Markov Clustering (MCL) algorithm. The prototype tool, which has been integrated into Microsoft Excel, provides a visualization of a spreadsheet in terms of its data dependency graph using a cluster tree. In addition, it highlights groups of cells that belong to a cluster with unique color and border style on the original spreadsheet. Using the visualization tool, spreadsheet users may narrow their focus to one cluster (i.e., logical unit) at a time. This paper discusses the results of a controlled experiment conducted to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of the prototype tool. We used cognitive fit theory as the basis for the evaluation of the tool. Among the features of the tool, highlighting of clusters was found to be useful for spreadsheet debugging while data dependency graph based visualization did not improve effectiveness and efficiency of debugging a spreadsheet.
목차
Abstract 1. Introduction 2. Related Work 3. Background 3.1 Spreadsheet Visualization using MCL Algorithm 3.2 Cognitive-fit Theory 4. Research Methodology 4.1 Experimental Design 5. Results 5.1 EffectivenessTable 1 presents 5.2 Efficiency 5.3 Post-experiment Questionnaire 6. Discussion 7. Conclusion References
키워드
spreadsheet debuggingspreadsheet visualizationend-user software engineeringcognitive fit theory
저자
Yirsaw Ayalew [ Department of Computer Science University of Botswana Gaborone, Botswana ]
Corresponding author
Ethel Tshukudu [ Department of Computer Science University of Botswana Gaborone, Botswana ]
보안공학연구지원센터(IJSEIA) [Science & Engineering Research Support Center, Republic of Korea(IJSEIA)]
설립연도
2006
분야
공학>컴퓨터학
소개
1. 보안공학에 대한 각종 조사 및 연구
2. 보안공학에 대한 응용기술 연구 및 발표
3. 보안공학에 관한 각종 학술 발표회 및 전시회 개최
4. 보안공학 기술의 상호 협조 및 정보교환
5. 보안공학에 관한 표준화 사업 및 규격의 제정
6. 보안공학에 관한 산학연 협동의 증진
7. 국제적 학술 교류 및 기술 협력
8. 보안공학에 관한 논문지 발간
9. 기타 본 회 목적 달성에 필요한 사업
간행물
간행물명
International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications
간기
월간
pISSN
1738-9984
수록기간
2008~2016
등재여부
SCOPUS
십진분류
KDC 505DDC 605
이 권호 내 다른 논문 / International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications Vol.10 No.3