The Control Structure Diagram: An Overview and InitialEvaluation

  • Authors:

  • James H. Cross, II;T. Dean Hendrix;Saeed Maghsoodloo

  • Affiliations:

  • Computer Science and Engineering, Auburn University, USA;Computer Science and Engineering, Auburn University, USA;Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Auburn University, USA

  • Venue:
  • Empirical Software Engineering
  • Year:
  • 1998

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Abstract

A new graphical representation, the Control StructureDiagram (CSD), has been created to visualize software at boththe source code and program design language (PDL) level. Theprimary impetus for creation of the CSD was to improve the comprehensionefficiency of software and, as a result, improve reliabilityand reduce costs. The CSD has the potential to replace traditionalprettyprinted source code. As part of the GRASP (Graphical Representationsof Algorithms, Structures, and Processes) research project atAuburn University, the GRASP software engineering tool has beensuccessfully developed. GRASP automatically generates CSDs fromsource code written in Ada, C, C++, Java, and VHDL. The emphasisto this point has been on the automatic generation of the CSDto support development, maintenance, reverse engineering andreengineering through the use of GRASP. GRASP has been appliedsuccessfully to numerous programs ranging in size from severalhundred to several thousand lines of source code and is efficientand sufficiently flexible for use in a production setting. Todemonstrate the potential benefits of the CSD and its automaticgeneration using GRASP, a series of empirical studies has beenplanned and initiated. First, as reported in this article, theperceived usefulness of the CSD was evaluated using a preferenceinstrument based on eleven performance characteristics in whicha comparison was made with other well-known graphical representationsfor algorithms. Statistical analysis indicated numerous significantdifferences with a clear preference for the CSD in seven of theeleven performance characteristics. Further empirical studies,currently being implemented, will examine the effect of the CSDand GRASP on objective measures such as comprehension efficiencyand effectiveness.