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It doesn't get much geekier than developing a computer system that studies how computer software is developed.
That's what Philip Johnson, a professor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Department of Information and Computer Sciences, and others the ICS did with the Hackystat Framework, a system that gathers data about the computer software development process.
"I always wanted to figure out how people got really good at developing software," Johnson said.
By tracking how computer software is developed, Hackystat helps students learn software development skills, while also helping professionals become better by pinpointing what works and what could be improved during the development process, according to Johnson
Hackystat works through "sensors" that the program's users "attach" to software development tools, which then gather and retrieve information throughout the software development process and return the data to the Hackystat SensorBase to be analyzed, according to the Hackystat Web site.
Johnson said Hackystat aids developers, or people who write computer software, when they encounter problems with code, or the set of instructions developers give to the computer. He said Hackystat could help direct the developers to others who have more experience with that software to help them solve the problem.
In addition to computer developers and students, Hackystat also aids researchers experimenting with software development, as well as teachers who can use the system to "introduce students to software measurement and empirically guided software project management, according to the Web site.
According to Johnson, Hackystat began in 2001 as a "tiny little system" that has "grown over the years into a fairly large system that thousands of people use," including Sixth Sense Analytics, a software company in North Carolina.
One of the future goals of Hackystat is to "integrate with social networking software," such as Facebook and Twitter, said Johnson.
Another goal Hackystat has is to "facilitate collective intelligence in software development," according the Web site.
"The idea of a collective intelligence is to create a situation where the group is smarter than any of the individuals," Johnson said.
By creating a collective intelligence, the group can maximize the abilities, knowledge and skills of the individual members to help solve common problems, Johnson said, adding that the Hackystat project has gotten to where it is now by groups working together effectively.
Those who have contributed to the Hackystat project are called "Hackystat Hackers," which include students from UH, Germany, Iceland and other places throughout the world, Johnson said.
Sidebar
Google Summer of Code is now accepting applications for students to work on open source projects. Students have the opportunity get paid $4,500 to write code for thousands of open source projects, according to Johnson.
Students who are interested can visit http://code.google.com/soc/ or contact Philip Johnson and Johnson@hawaii.edu.
GOOGLE SUMMER OF CODE Now accepting applications for students to work on open source projects. Students have the opportunity get paid $4,500 to write code for thousands of open source projects, according to Johnson.
Students who are interested can visit code.google.com/soc/ or contact Philip Johnson and Johnson@hawaii.edu.
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