Exploring novice programmer example use

Both experienced and novice programmers use examples while programming, whether from tutorials, forums, or source code. Novice programmers, however, often find it challenging to use unfamiliar example code. Little is known about the challenges of using examples, making it difficult to design support for novice programmer example use. We ran an exploratory study of novices using examples to complete programming tasks. To analyze programming behaviors, we define the `realization point' as the time when the participants discover the crucial concept in an example. Our results show that participants spent more time after the realization point using the example than they did identifying which part of the example to use. We describe hurdles and strategies, types of tasks behaviors, and finally, implications for supporting example use.