CodeView: A Tool for Software Visualization in Development View

This thesis presents CodeView, a graph-based software architecture visualization tool designed to enhance the understanding of complex software systems. As software projects grow in complexity, comprehension becomes increasingly challenging. The developed tool aims to address this issue by providing a recursive graph visualization of object-oriented software data, reflecting the inherently recursive nature of software components and their numerous interconnections. The tool's features for abstraction, interactivity, and customization were evaluated through participant interviews, including think-aloud sessions, Q&A, and System Usability Scale (SUS) assessments. The evaluation showed that while navigation features were effective, search functionality and edge visualization needed improvement. The Software Usability Scale scores ranged from “awful” to “excellent”, with two participants rating it as “good”. Participants particularly valued the tool for providing high-level software overviews, though they noted implementation imperfections. Despite limitations in sample size, the evaluation provided clear directions for future development. Future work could focus on improving identified weaknesses, expanding the user base to include industry professionals and exploring additional functionalities.