@ARTICLE{Wu15-EMSE-APIChangeEcosystems,
  author = {Wei Wu and Foutse Khomh and and Bram Adams and Yann-Ga{\"e}l Gu{\'e}h{\'e}neuc and Giuliano Antoniol},
  title = {An Exploratory Study of {API} Changes and Usages based on {A}pache and {E}clipse Ecosystems},
  journal = {Journal of Empirical Software Engineering ({EMSE})},
  year = {2016},
  month = {December},
  volume = {21},
  number = {6},
  pages = {2366�2412},
  note = {47 pages.},
  abstract = {Frameworks are widely used in modern software development to reduce development costs.
They are accessed through their Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which specify the contracts
with client programs. When frameworks evolve, API backwardcompatibility cannot always be guaranteed and
client programs must upgrade to use the new releases. Because framework upgrades are not cost-free,
observing API changes and usages together at fine-grained levels is necessary to help developers
understand, assess, and forecast the cost of each framework upgrade. Whereas previous work studied API
changes in frameworks and API usages in client programs separately, we analyse and classify API changes
and usages together in 22 framework releases from the Apache and Eclipse ecosystems and their client
programs. We find that (1) missing classes and methods happen more often in frameworks and affect client
programs more often than the other API change types do, (2) missing interfaces occur rarely in frameworks
but affect client programs often, (3) framework APIs are used on average in 35\% of client classes and
interfaces, (4) most of such usages could be encapsulated locally and reduced in number, and (5) about
11\% of APIs usages could cause ripple effects in client programs when these APIs change. Based on these
findings, we provide suggestions for developers and researchers to reduce the impact of API evolution
through language mechanisms and design strategies.},
  editor = {Lionel Briand and Thomas Zimmermann},
  grant = {NSERC DG and CRC on Software Patterns},
  keywords = {Understanding program comprehension ; EMSE},
  kind = {RIAS},
  language = {english},
  publisher = {Springer},
  url = {http://www.ptidej.net/publications/documents/EMSE16a.doc.pdf}
}

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They are accessed through their Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which specify the contracts with client programs. When frameworks evolve, API backwardcompatibility cannot always be guaranteed and client programs must upgrade to use the new releases. Because framework upgrades are not cost-free, observing API changes and usages together at fine-grained levels is necessary to help developers understand, assess, and forecast the cost of each framework upgrade. Whereas previous work studied API changes in frameworks and API usages in client programs separately, we analyse and classify API changes and usages together in 22 framework releases from the Apache and Eclipse ecosystems and their client programs. We find that (1) missing classes and methods happen more often in frameworks and affect client programs more often than the other API change types do, (2) missing interfaces occur rarely in frameworks but affect client programs often, (3) framework APIs are used on average in 35% of client classes and interfaces, (4) most of such usages could be encapsulated locally and reduced in number, and (5) about 11% of APIs usages could cause ripple effects in client programs when these APIs change. 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When frameworks evolve, API backwardcompatibility cannot always be guaranteed and\nclient programs must upgrade to use the new releases. Because framework upgrades are not cost-free,\nobserving API changes and usages together at fine-grained levels is necessary to help developers\nunderstand, assess, and forecast the cost of each framework upgrade. Whereas previous work studied API\nchanges in frameworks and API usages in client programs separately, we analyse and classify API changes\nand usages together in 22 framework releases from the Apache and Eclipse ecosystems and their client\nprograms. We find that (1) missing classes and methods happen more often in frameworks and affect client\nprograms more often than the other API change types do, (2) missing interfaces occur rarely in frameworks\nbut affect client programs often, (3) framework APIs are used on average in 35\\% of client classes and\ninterfaces, (4) most of such usages could be encapsulated locally and reduced in number, and (5) about\n11\\% of APIs usages could cause ripple effects in client programs when these APIs change. 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