User:Aferouge/sandbox

CodeCity Structure
CodeCity uses the metaphor of a city to represent source code of software visually. A city is divided into districts, which contain either smaller sub districts and/or buildings.

City Metaphor
The classes are represented as buildings. The dimensions of a building are determined by the number of methods (height) and the number of attributes (width and length). The color of a building is determined by the lines of code. The darker the color (in general ranging from purple-blue to dark-grey), the more lines of code the class consists of.

The buildings (the objects representing classes) are grouped into districts, which represent the package in which the classes reside. The color of the surface of each district is based on the nesting level. The higher up the nesting is, the darker the shade of gray.

Software Evolution Analysis
In addition to support the understanding of the software system, different aspects of the source code can be analyzed by implementing them in the city metaphor as well. For example, code stability and age can be made visible by the color of the building and the shape (a smooth, solid block or a high fragile building missing a few "bricks").