HeatMetro: A 3D Code Visualization for Test Debt Analysis in Evolving Systems

Casilla B.N.M.; Mogollon S.; Parizaca-Mozo P.; Sarmiento-Calisaya E. · 29th Ibero-American Conference on Software Engineering, CIbSE 2026 (2026) · DOI: 10.5753/cibse.2026.42440

Resumen

Traditional test coverage metrics often fail to reveal test debt. Additionally, it is difficult to manually uncover code critical for testing, particularly in complex and rapidly changing components of large systems. However, few tools help developers visually explore test debt. In this work, we introduce HeatMetro, a web-based implementation of the code city metaphor that creates an interactive 3D software visualization and operationalizes a context-aware code coverage criterion for the visual analysis of test debt in large Java and Go projects. The feasibility of HeatMetro is evaluated through a study with developers and projects, which indicates promising results, confirming the tool’s effectiveness in identifying and explaining critical components for testing. © CIbSE 2026.All rights reserved

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa