一句话：揭示视觉编程语言代码库中重复代码可高达39%，指向重复模式挖掘以缓解技术债。
视觉编程语言（VPL）借助高层抽象降低了编程门槛，使缺少技术背景的用户也能开发系统，但也更容易忽视软件工程最佳实践，造成技术债和可维护性下降。重复代码是其中一类重要技术债。本文以 OutSystems 的 VPL 代码库为观测对象，报告重复代码比例最高可达 39%，说明该问题在真实视觉编程项目中普遍且严重。标题表明论文进一步研究重复代码模式挖掘，以期自动识别 VPL 中的重复片段，为后续重构、度量和工具支持提供基础。摘要未展开具体算法与评估细节，但强调 VPL 场景下重复检测的必要性。
Visual Programming Languages (VPLs), coupled with the high-level abstractions that are commonplace in visual programming environments, enable users with less technical knowledge to become proficient programmers. However, the lower skill floor required by VPLs also entails that programmers are more likely to not adhere to best practices of software development, producing systems with high technical debt, and thus poor maintainability. Duplicated code is one important example of such technical debt. In fact, we observed that the amount of duplication in the OutSystems VPL code bases can reach as high as 39%.
@inproceedings{paperbot6319,
title = {Duplicated code pattern mining in visual programming languages},
author = {Miguel Terra-Neves and João Nadkarni and Miguel Ventura and Pedro Resende and Hugo Veiga and António Alegria},
booktitle = {FSE},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1145/3468264.3473928}
}