The subject of the investigation in the paper is source code analysis. The paper commences with a literature review covering the rich history of this field.

Then, the authors propose an approach to source code analysis based on “linked data infrastructure,” which specifically aims to resolve the problems of global source code analysis, that is, tracking and tracing various properties of code across large, collaborative projects. The linked data approach is based on semantic web technologies.

The new method makes use of linked data in order to build up a repository for global source code analysis. This step provides the opportunity to link heterogeneous data/variables and to establish a knowledge base in a step-by-step fashion. The network of information stored in the repository allows for bug tracking, error ticketing, testing, test case generation, and version and source code control on data originated from different projects and information sources. The solution takes advantage of readily available semantic web technologies. Proof of concept is presented in the form of case studies.

The paper is worth reading for software developers, team leaders, and project managers who are interested in innovative, collaborative work.