How end-user programmers forage in online repositories? An information foraging perspective

Abstract End-user (non-professional) programmers often opportunistically create programs, they evaluate various alternatives and reuse existing code by merging components from it or modifying it to suit the context or problems of their programs. Finding and evaluating which program variants to reuse code from is challenging because the searching mechanisms within online repositories are not optimal. To understand the reuse behavior of end-user programmers and to provide implications on how to further support them, we conducted an empirical study in which eight end-user programmers foraged in online repositories, specifically App Inventor Gallery and File Exchange. Using Information Foraging Theory, we qualitatively analyzed the end-user programmers’ behavior and focused on not only program variants from a single source, but also on similar variants from various sources developed over time and by different authors. This analysis revealed new cue types and strategies specific to novice and experienced end-user programmers as they foraged between- and within-variants.