Abstract
Software libraries for most of the modern programming languages are numerous,
large and complex. Remembering the syntax and usage of APIs is a difficult task
for not just novices but also expert programmers. IDEs (Integrated Development
Environment) provide capabilities like autocomplete and intellisense to assist
programmers; however, programmers still need to visit search engines like
Google to find API (Application Program Interface) documentation and samples.
This paper evaluates Redprint - a browser based development environment for PHP
that integrates API specific "Instant Example" and "Instant Documentation"
display interfaces. A comparative laboratory study shows that integrating API
specific "Instant Example" and "Instant Documentation" display interfaces into
a development environment significantly reduces the cost of searching and thus
significantly reduces the time to develop software.
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