Toward an Understanding of Developer Behaviour while Using Bug Localization Tools

2026-05-06

Abstract

Bug fixing is a complex and time-consuming task in software development. Bug localization research tends to focus on the accuracy of automated tools that suggest source code files for developers to look at. However, little is known about how developers use these tools in practice. This paper reports on an ongoing qualitative user study. Eleven participants worked through four realistic bug localization tasks in a controlled environment and were given varying levels of support information offered by a specialized tool. Participants were asked to think aloud in a semi-structured interview session. The preliminary findings provide insight into three aspects of practice: how developers interact with tools, the role social and contextual information plays, and problem solving. The study demonstrates that bug localization is complex and suggests that the adoption of effective tools depends on more than their accuracy.

Problem

• bug localization
• developer behaviour
• software debugging
• tool adoption
• qualitative study

Innovation

• developer behavior
• bug localization
• qualitative user study
• think-aloud protocol
• tool adoption