Visualizing Object Oriented Software: Towards a Point of Reference for Developing Tools for Industry

Developing a software visualization tool that gets high acceptability in the industry or research community would imply success for that particular tool. In the past, many tools have been developed within the academic arena with many more currently being developed. The rate of commercial success for the developed tools however does not match their development rate. In this paper the views of expert programmers are sought on what should be incorporated in a software visualization tool. These views are sought after exposing the programmers to three tools and allowing them to use the tools for a period of time. The results from the observations show that many of the desires of the expert programmers are not catered for in the currently existing tools. The potential need for a point of reference for developing tools for industry is also discussed.