Authors:
Asli Sari
1
;
Ayse Tosun
1
and
Gülfem Işıklar Alptekin
2
Affiliations:
1
Faculty of Computer and Informatics Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey
;
2
Department of Computer Engineering, Galatasaray University, Turkey
Keyword(s):
Open Source Software, Software Testing, Human Factors, Pareto Analysis, Hierarchical Clustering, Apache Spark.
Abstract:
Open Source Software (OSS) projects have the potential to achieve high software quality through community collaboration. However, the collaborative nature of OSS development presents unique challenges, particularly in maintaining software quality through testing practices. The lack of formal testing roles and structures underscores the importance of understanding testing patterns to enhance project quality. To address this need, our study investigates key aspects of testing contributions within Apache Spark project. The study aims to identify the top testing contributors responsible for the majority of test-related commits, as well as their engagement levels and evolving testing focus over time. Additionally, it examines how these contributors’ activities vary across different time periods and explores their distinct engagement patterns within the community. Our findings reveal that only 9.8% of contributors handle the majority of test-related commits, exceeding the traditional 80/20
Pareto principle. Additionally, hierarchical clustering of these contributors over three years identified three activity levels: Highly-Active, Moderately-Active, and Lowly-Active. Each cluster exhibits unique patterns of testing focus and engagement across different time periods. These insights emphasize the critical role of a small core group in managing the project’s testing workload and underscore the need for strategies to broaden participation in testing activities.
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