Towards Generating Labeled Property Graphs for Comprehending C#-based Software Projects

Abstract

C# is the most widely used programming language among XR developers. However, only a limited number of graph-based data acquisition tools exist for C# software. XR development commonly relies on reusing existing software components to accelerate development. Graph-based visualization tools can facilitate this comprehension process, e.g., by providing an overview of relationships between components. This work describes a new tool called Src2Neo that generates labeled property graphs of C#-based software projects. The stored graph follows a simple C# naming scheme and - contrary to other solutions - maps each software entity to exactly one node. The resulting graph facilitates the comprehension process by providing an easy to read representation of software components. Additionally, the generated graphs can act as a data basis for more advanced software visualizations without the need for complex data requests.