Using concept maps to evaluate the usability of APIs

Jens Gerken; Hans-Christian Jetter; Harald Reiterer

doi:10.1145/1753846.1754082

Using concept maps to evaluate the usability of APIs

Jens Gerken, Hans-Christian Jetter, Harald Reiterer

Research Center Hagenberg

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedings › Conference contribution › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Application programming interfaces (APIs) are the interfaces to existing code structures, such as widgets, frameworks, or toolkits. Therefore, they very much do have an impact on the quality of the resulting system. So ensuring that developers can make the most out of them is an important challenge. However standard usability evaluation methods as known from HCI have limitations in grasping the interaction between developer and API - the GUI, which makes this interaction obvious, is missing. In this paper we present a longitudinal approach using concept maps and a question diary to make this interaction visible and study the usability of an API over time.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	CHI 2010 - The 28th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Conference Proceedings and Extended Abstracts
Publisher	ACM Press
Pages	3937-3942
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Print)	9781605589312
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/1753846.1754082
Publication status	Published - 2010
Event	CHI 2010 (ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems) - Atlanta, United States Duration: 10 Apr 2010 → 15 Apr 2010 http://www.chi2010.org/

Publication series

Name	Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings

Conference

Conference	CHI 2010 (ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems)
Country/Territory	United States
City	Atlanta
Period	10.04.2010 → 15.04.2010
Internet address	http://www.chi2010.org/

Keywords

API usability
Concept maps
Longitudinal evaluation

Access to Document

10.1145/1753846.1754082

Cite this

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title = "Using concept maps to evaluate the usability of APIs",

abstract = "Application programming interfaces (APIs) are the interfaces to existing code structures, such as widgets, frameworks, or toolkits. Therefore, they very much do have an impact on the quality of the resulting system. So ensuring that developers can make the most out of them is an important challenge. However standard usability evaluation methods as known from HCI have limitations in grasping the interaction between developer and API - the GUI, which makes this interaction obvious, is missing. In this paper we present a longitudinal approach using concept maps and a question diary to make this interaction visible and study the usability of an API over time.",

keywords = "API usability, Concept maps, Longitudinal evaluation",

author = "Jens Gerken and Hans-Christian Jetter and Harald Reiterer",

year = "2010",

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language = "English",

isbn = "9781605589312",

series = "Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings",

publisher = "ACM Press",

pages = "3937--3942",

booktitle = "CHI 2010 - The 28th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Conference Proceedings and Extended Abstracts",

note = "CHI 2010 (ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems) ; Conference date: 10-04-2010 Through 15-04-2010",

url = "http://www.chi2010.org/",

}

Gerken, J, Jetter, H-C & Reiterer, H 2010, Using concept maps to evaluate the usability of APIs. in CHI 2010 - The 28th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Conference Proceedings and Extended Abstracts. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings, ACM Press, pp. 3937-3942, CHI 2010 (ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems), Atlanta, United States, 10.04.2010. https://doi.org/10.1145/1753846.1754082

Using concept maps to evaluate the usability of APIs. / Gerken, Jens; Jetter, Hans-Christian; Reiterer, Harald.
CHI 2010 - The 28th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Conference Proceedings and Extended Abstracts. ACM Press, 2010. p. 3937-3942 (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedings › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Using concept maps to evaluate the usability of APIs

AU - Gerken, Jens

AU - Jetter, Hans-Christian

AU - Reiterer, Harald

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - Application programming interfaces (APIs) are the interfaces to existing code structures, such as widgets, frameworks, or toolkits. Therefore, they very much do have an impact on the quality of the resulting system. So ensuring that developers can make the most out of them is an important challenge. However standard usability evaluation methods as known from HCI have limitations in grasping the interaction between developer and API - the GUI, which makes this interaction obvious, is missing. In this paper we present a longitudinal approach using concept maps and a question diary to make this interaction visible and study the usability of an API over time.

AB - Application programming interfaces (APIs) are the interfaces to existing code structures, such as widgets, frameworks, or toolkits. Therefore, they very much do have an impact on the quality of the resulting system. So ensuring that developers can make the most out of them is an important challenge. However standard usability evaluation methods as known from HCI have limitations in grasping the interaction between developer and API - the GUI, which makes this interaction obvious, is missing. In this paper we present a longitudinal approach using concept maps and a question diary to make this interaction visible and study the usability of an API over time.

KW - API usability

KW - Concept maps

KW - Longitudinal evaluation

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U2 - 10.1145/1753846.1754082

DO - 10.1145/1753846.1754082

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 9781605589312

T3 - Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings

SP - 3937

EP - 3942

BT - CHI 2010 - The 28th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Conference Proceedings and Extended Abstracts

PB - ACM Press

T2 - CHI 2010 (ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems)

Y2 - 10 April 2010 through 15 April 2010

ER -

Using concept maps to evaluate the usability of APIs

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

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