Clinton R. Lanier, Phd, Commenting Survey

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. This research is being conducted to better understand the commenting practices and perceptions of Professional Programmers. This research is conducted with IRB approval from the New Mexico Institute of Technology. Please direct all feedback, questions or comments to Dr. Clinton R. Lanier, primary investigator.

Confidentiality Statement: According to the IRB approval for this project, NO INFORMATION IS BEING COLLECTED OR USED that will divulge the source of the answers below. Niether you nor your organization can be identified through your answers, nor will any information not on the survey be used in the course of the study or its publications.

Question 1

For what purpose do you normally use source-code comments (check all that apply)?

1: To help me understand my logic

2: To help others understand my logic

3: To help me plan a program

4: To help me understand where functions begin and end

5: To help me keep track of updates/fixes/modifications

6: To alert others to updates/fixes/modifications

7: To help me maintain my code

8: To help others maintain my code

Question 2

* From the categories in question 1, select the most important use for source-code comments.

1: To help me understand my logic

2: To help others understand my logic

3: To help me plan a program

4: To help me understand where functions begin and end

5: To help me keep track of updates/fixes/modifications

6: To alert others to updates/fixes/modifications

7: To help me maintain my code

8: To help others maintain my code

Question 3

* When do you most often write comments?

1: Before the code is written

2: After the code is written

3: As you are writing the code

Question 4

* Of the following, what should comments say?

1: Why a particular portion of the code is important

2: Why a particular portion of the code is written a certain way

3: How a particular portion of the code relates to other operations/portions of code

4: How a particular portion of the code works

Question 5

* Who do you primarily write comments for?

1: Yourself

2: Someone Else

Question 6

Of the following please select all examples of collaboration.

1: Working directly with someone (or multiple people) about a particular work project

2: Emailing or phone calling someone about a particular work project

3: Encountering a colleague in the hallway and discussing weekend events

4: Reading a report written 10 years ago by an ex-coworker

5: Searching for a solution online and finding a forum entry that helps your project

6: Reading another’s source code and internal documentation

Question 7

* How important is it that other people understand your code?

1: Very important

2: Somewhat important

3: Neither important or unimportant

4: Not important

Question 8

* How likely is it that other people will view/read your code?

1: Very likely

2: Somewhat likely

3: Not likely

Question 9

* What most closely resembles your opinion about source-code comments?

1: They are useful and important for helping me create and maintain my programs

2: They are useful and important for helping others understand my code

3: They are not useful at all

Question 10

* In your opinion, can a program be written clearly enough so as not to need comments?

1: Yes

2: No

Question 11

* In your opinion, how common are your programming methods?

1: Very common

2: Somewhat common

3: Not common

Question 12

* Of the following what is most important when trying to understand a new program?

1: In-depth knowledge of the language

2: In-depth experience with similar problem

3: Well written internal documentation

4: Thorough understanding of the history of the program

Question 13

* How important are comments to clear code?

1: Very important

2: Somewhat important

3: Not important

Question 14

* How much information should be contained in a useful comment?

1: As little as possible

2: As much as needed

Question 15

* Of the following, which is more important to you?

1: Code that works

2: Code that is easy to understand

Question 16

* Which of the following is your priority

1: Create the most efficient code possible

2: Quickly complete a program that solves the target problem

Question 17

* Does your organization require you to include comments in your code?

1: Yes

2: No

Question 18

* How long have you been programming professionally? (please include only number of years or months, followed by a single y or m, such as: 10y)

Question 19

* Does your organization have written standards for internal documentation?

1: Yes

2: No

Question 20

* What most closely describes your normal programming duties

1: Plan/create source-code for commercial software program

2: Maintain commercial software programs

3: Plan/create source-code for internally-used software programs

4: Maintain internal software programs

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