Role-based interfaces for collaborative software development.

ABSTRACTReal-time collaboration between multiple simultaneous contributors to a shared document is full of both opportunities and pitfalls, as evidenced by decades of research and industry work in computer-supported cooperative work. In the domain of software engineering, collaboration is still generally achieved either via shared use of a single computer (e.g. pair programming) or with version control (and manual pushing and pulling of changes). By examining and designing for the different roles collaborating programmers play when working synchronously together, we can build real-time collaborative programming systems that make their collaboration more effective. And beyond simple shared editing, we can provide asymmetric, role-specific interfaces on their shared task. Collabode is a web-based IDE for collaborative programming with simultaneous editors that, along with several novel models for closely-collaborative software development, explores the potential of real-time cooperative programming.