Context in exploratory programming: Towards a theoretical framework.

Creativity theory states good designs are achieved by having a multitude of these designs [1]. Exploratory Programming is the process of trying out designs while writing software. Programmers have to evaluate these alternative implementations in order to implement new ideas [2]. These alternatives often have multiple objectives which might prompt a programmer to work towards multiple goals in episodes. Episodes are distinct periods when a programmer works towards a certain goal. These episodes may be interleaved where programmers compare different episodes [3]. However, there is little research which focuses on how programmers abstract meaningful and appropriate information from their exploration of alternatives to integrate into their current work. We refer to these meaningful abstractions as context.