JQuery: Finding your way through tangled code

Andrew Eisenberg, University of British Columbia
Kris De Volder, University of British Columbia

Wednesday, March 24, 16:00
Thursday, March 25, 14:00

JQuery is a flexible, query-based source code browser, developed as an Eclipse plug-in. A JQuery user can define his or her own top-level browsers on-the-fly by formulating logic queries and running them against the source code. Alternatively, the user can choose from a variety of pre-written browsers, and use them as-is or modify them to suit specific needs. In this manner, JQuery provides the developer with a wide variety of crosscutting as well as non- crosscutting views within a single tool. Elements in the tree can then be queried individually in the same manner allowing further exploration of the complex web of relationships that exist between scattered elements of code, without the distraction of switching tools or losing the context of the original query.

Attendees of the demonstration will see a live demonstration of the tool, showing how to use it to perform a series of typical development tasks. Each successive task will make more and more sophisticated use of the tool. The first task will be an exploration of the code base of JHotDraw, locating information from scattered places in the code needed to perform a small change tasks. The second task will entail refactoring a piece of JHotDraw codebase, requiring multiple similar changes to different locations throughout the code. The final example will take advantage of JHotDraw specific naming conventions and coding idioms to create browsers and navigation menus.