Introduction: Remixing Snippets and Reusing Components - Finding Source Code on the Web for Remix and Reuse - page 11

They conduct a series of thought experiements in which they apply current U.S.
intellectual property law to a scenario where source code is being reused. The em-
phasis of their analysis on the maintaining access to a large body of source code for
future software developers. The last chapter of this topic is the winner of a science
fiction short story contest, “Singular Source,” on the future of programming. This
work by Micah Joel, entitled, “Richie Boss: Private Investigator Manager,” is a film
noir-themed mystery where the protogonist makes a startling foray into an archive
of computer programs. We wanted to include a work of fiction as a final chapter,
both to inspire future researchers and to probe the boundaries of code retrieval on
the web.
This topic represents a first collection of works on this topic, with historical ret-
rospectives, syntheses of multiple studies, and current research. In this introduction,
we argued that 'code retrieval on the web' bifurcates into two kinds of information
seeking behavior: component reuse and snippet remix. Searches for components are
methodical and involve careful consideration of multiple criteria. The found compo-
nents are subsequently reused with minimal modification. Searches for snippets are
opportunistic and are typically conducted to obtain information. The found snippets
are used in a variety of ways, including copy and paste, and read and understand.
The two types of search are often conflated because they share a common ori-
gin, specifically code search in IDEs, and they have a single apparent action, typing
queries into a search engine. Closer consideration of how software developers think
about code retrieval on the web reveals two distinct patterns: searches for compo-
nents and searches for snippets reveals. Each kind of search is distinct enough to
warrant individual treatment in research and design of tools. We hope that this topic
promotes and encourages research in these and other directions.
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