Visual Analysis of Software Engineering Data

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Artificial Intelligence".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2026 | Viewed by 951

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Computer Science and Technology, Kean University, Union, NJ 07083, USA
Interests: computer vision; AI; natural language processing; transformers/deep learning models; web development with AI; pair programming with AI; inclusive web design; equitable CS education
Department of Computer Science and Technology, Kean University, Union, NJ 07083, USA
Interests: artificial intelligence; computer vision; machine learning; pattern recognition

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou 325015, China
Interests: big data; e-health; e-commerce

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Software engineering data encompasses the vast information generated throughout the software development lifecycle. It includes the actual code written by developers, historical records of code changes, records of bugs, feature requests, results of automated and manual tests, logs and metrics related to the deployment and operation of software systems, real-time or historical data on system performance, resource usage, user feedback, and user behavior. Various techniques like data mining, machine learning, and visualization extract meaningful information from these data. Visual analysis offers a powerful means to extract insights from software engineering data, but its role extends beyond mere data representation. Visual analytics enable developers to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies that might be overlooked with traditional text-based analysis. Furthermore, integrating visual tools into software engineering workflows can significantly improve collaboration among team members, fostering a more cohesive and productive development environment. This Special Issue seeks to highlight the latest advancements and applications of visual analysis, underscoring its importance in addressing the challenges posed by modern software systems. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Visualizations for Code Comprehension;
  • Software Repository Analysis;
  • Bug Tracking and Analysis;
  • Performance Analysis and Optimization;
  • Software Evolution and Maintenance;
  • Collaborative Software Development;
  • Machine Learning and AI for Visual Analysis;
  • Interactive Visualizations for Software Metrics;
  • Visualization of Software Architectures;
  • Data-Driven Decision Making in Software Engineering;
  • Empirical Studies on Visual Analytics in Software Engineering;
  • Case Studies and Applications.
  • Practical applications of visual analytics.

This Special Issue aims to explore and highlight the latest advancements, methodologies, and applications in the visual analysis of software engineering data. As software systems become increasingly complex and large-scale, innovative approaches are required to effectively manage, analyze, and optimize these systems. Visual analytics offers a powerful means to harness the human visual system's pattern recognition capabilities to extract insights from extensive and intricate software engineering data. This Special Issue seeks to bring together researchers and practitioners to present cutting-edge research, case studies, and empirical studies that demonstrate the impact of visual analysis on various aspects of software engineering. The Special Issue aims to foster a deeper understanding of how visual tools can improve software quality, development efficiency, and team collaboration by showcasing these advancements.

The journal Electronics focuses on the broad field of electronics and its applications, including but not limited to signal processing, telecommunications, power systems, and information systems. The visual analysis of software engineering data is highly relevant to this scope, as it involves developing and applying visual tools and techniques to improve the management and analysis of electronic systems and software. Integrating visual analytics within software engineering processes aligns with the journal's emphasis on innovative solutions and advanced methodologies in electronics and information systems. Visual analytics contributes to the advancement of electronics by enabling more effective handling of the data generated in software development, a critical component of modern electronic systems. This Special Issue will highlight how visual tools can be leveraged to enhance the understanding and optimization of software, thereby supporting the overall mission of the journal to publish high-quality research in the field of electronics.

Dr. Yulia Kumar
Dr. Kuan Huang
Dr. Hemn Barzan Abdalla
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • visual analytics
  • software engineering data
  • version control
  • issue tracking
  • code review
  • test data
  • performance metrics
  • user feedback
  • software development lifecycle

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

31 pages, 3484 KB  
Article
CEDAR: An Ontology-Based Framework Using Event Abstractions to Contextualise Financial Data Processes
by Aya Tafech and Fethi Rabhi
Electronics 2026, 15(1), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15010145 - 29 Dec 2025
Viewed by 323
Abstract
Financial institutions face data quality (DQ) challenges in regulatory reporting due to complex architectures where data flows through multiple systems. Data consumers struggle to assess quality because traditional DQ tools operate on data snapshots without capturing temporal event sequences and business contexts that [...] Read more.
Financial institutions face data quality (DQ) challenges in regulatory reporting due to complex architectures where data flows through multiple systems. Data consumers struggle to assess quality because traditional DQ tools operate on data snapshots without capturing temporal event sequences and business contexts that determine whether anomalies represent genuine issues or valid behavior. Existing approaches address either semantic representation (ontologies for static knowledge) or temporal pattern detection (event processing without semantics), but not their integration. This paper presents CEDAR (Contextual Events and Domain-driven Associative Representation), integrating financial ontologies with event-driven processing for context-aware DQ assessment. Novel contributions include (1) ontology-driven rule derivation that automatically translates OWL business constraints into executable detection logic; (2) temporal ontological reasoning extending static quality assessment with event stream processing; (3) explainable assessment tracing anomalies through causal chains to violated constraints; and (4) standards-based design using W3C technologies with FIBO extensions. Following the Design Science Research Methodology, we document the first, early-stage iteration focused on design novelty and technical feasibility. We present conceptual models, a working prototype, controlled validation with synthetic equity derivative data, and comparative analysis against existing approaches. The prototype successfully detects context-dependent quality issues and enables ontological root cause exploration. Contributions: A novel integration of ontologies and event processing for financial DQ management with validated technical feasibility, demonstrating how semantic web technologies address operational challenges in event-driven architectures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Visual Analysis of Software Engineering Data)
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