Utilizing Deep Learning to Optimize Software Development Processes

LiGuo Huang Amiao Gao Jidong Ge + 7 lainnya

1 Maret 2023

Since 2009, the deep learning revolution, which was triggered by the introduction of ImageNet, has stimulated the synergy between Software Engineering (SE) and Machine Learning (ML)/Deep Learning (DL). Meanwhile, critical reviews have emerged that suggest that ML/DL should be used cautiously. To improve the applicability and generalizability of ML/DL-related SE studies, we conducted a 12-year Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on 1,428 ML/DL-related SE papers published between 2009 and 2020. Our trend analysis demonstrated the impacts that ML/DL brought to SE. We examined the complexity of applying ML/DL solutions to SE problems and how such complexity led to issues concerning the reproducibility and replicability of ML/DL studies in SE. Specifically, we investigated how ML and DL differ in data preprocessing, model training, and evaluation when applied to SE tasks, and what details need to be provided to ensure that a study can be reproduced or replicated. By categorizing the rationales behind the selection of ML/DL techniques into five themes, we analyzed how model performance, robustness, interpretability, complexity, and data simplicity affected the choices of ML/DL models.

Chuanyi Li Bin Luo Vincent Ng + 1 lainnya

24 Mei 2022

Recent years have seen the successful application of deep learning to software engineering (SE). In particular, the development and use of pre-trained models of source code has enabled state-of-the-art results to be achieved on a wide variety of SE tasks. This paper provides an overview of this rapidly advancing field of research and reflects on future research directions.

Firas Bayram P. Leitner H. Samoaa + 1 lainnya

7 Juni 2022

The usage of deep learning (DL) approaches for software engineering has attracted much attention, particularly in source code modelling and analysis. However, in order to use DL, source code needs to be formatted to fit the expected input form of DL models. This problem is known as source code representation. Source code can be represented via different approaches, most importantly, the tree ‐ based, token ‐ based, and graph ‐ based approaches. We use a systematic mapping study to investigate i detail the representation approaches adopted in 103 studies that use DL in the context of software engineering. Thus, studies are collected from 2014 to 2021 from 14 different journals and 27 conferences. We show that each way of representing source code can provide a different, yet orthogonal view of the same source code. Thus, different software engineering tasks might require different (combinations of) code representation approaches, depending on the nature and complexity of the task. Particularly, we show that it is crucial to define whether the DL approach requires lexical, syntactical, or semantic code information. Our analysis shows that a wide range of different representations and combinations of representations (hybrid representations) are used to solve a wide range of common software engineering problems. However, we also observe that current research does not generally attempt to transfer existing representations or models to other studies even though there are other contexts in which these representations and models may also be useful. We believe that there is potential for more reuse and the application of transfer learning when applying DL to software engineering tasks.

R. Galanopoulou D. Spinellis Zoe Kotti

17 November 2022

Machine learning (ML) techniques increase the effectiveness of software engineering (SE) lifecycle activities. We systematically collected, quality-assessed, summarized, and categorized 83 reviews in ML for SE published between 2009 and 2022, covering 6,117 primary studies. The SE areas most tackled with ML are software quality and testing, while human-centered areas appear more challenging for ML. We propose a number of ML for SE research challenges and actions, including conducting further empirical validation and industrial studies on ML, reconsidering deficient SE methods, documenting and automating data collection and pipeline processes, reexamining how industrial practitioners distribute their proprietary data, and implementing incremental ML approaches.

Zhen Li Tong Li Yumei Wu + 3 lainnya

28 Desember 2021

In order to improve software quality and testing efficiency, this paper implements the prediction of software defects based on deep learning. According to the respective advantages and disadvantages of the particle swarm algorithm and the wolf swarm algorithm, the two algorithms are mixed to realize the complementary advantages of the algorithms. At the same time, the hybrid algorithm is used in the search of model hyperparameter optimization, the loss function of the model is used as the fitness function, and the collaborative search ability of the swarm intelligence population is used to find the global optimal solution in multiple local solution spaces. Through the analysis of the experimental results of six data sets, compared with the traditional hyperparameter optimization method and a single swarm intelligence algorithm, the model using the hybrid algorithm has higher and better indicators. And, under the processing of the autoencoder, the performance of the model has been further improved.