Kolloquium SoSe 2025

Dr. Mathieu Nassif

McGill University, Canada

Wann: 19.05.2025, 15:15 Uhr (Achtung, abweichende Uhrzeit!)

Wo: Konrad-Zuse-Hörsaal (Raum B-201)

Thema

Opportunities, Limitations, and Challenges of Interactive Software Documentation

Sprache: English

Abstract

Producing good software documentation is a difficult balancing act: documents must contain enough information to address the needs of a large audience, but too much information can overwhelm individual readers. Creating interactive documents can mitigate this challenge by allowing readers to select the information they need. In this talk, I will present Casdoc, an interactive format for annotated code examples. With this project, we explored an alternative approach to present information that does not rely on a linear order of the content. Through two studies, we identified several patterns of information access from readers. I will discuss these patterns, which highlight the promises and perils when designing interactive documents.

Bio

I am a software engineering researcher focusing on the human aspects of the discipline, particularly the exchange of knowledge among different groups of developers, typically via documentation. In my research, I try to understand how developers access the information they need to learn about the software they use or contribute to, and how tools can make this information easier to create and to consume. I completed my PhD in 2024 at McGill University with Prof. Martin Robillard and I will soon start as a Lecturer (equiv. Assistant Professor) at the University of Canterbury.