发表机构
Kiel University（基尔大学）
机构由 AI 辅助整理，请以论文原文为准。AI 中文总结
本研究在3D可视化工具ExplorViz中集成基于LLM的聊天助手，支持自然语言查询与可视化操作，实验表明其提升理解支持，但开放式重构需加强护栏。
AI 中文摘要
我们提出了一种用于交互式软件探索的聊天助手，该助手嵌入在3D软件可视化工具ExplorViz中。该助手基于当前的大语言模型（LLMs），使用户能够就当前可视化的软件系统提出问题，并通过自然语言触发改变可视化的操作。我们使用CopilotKit库将聊天助手集成到我们的ExplorViz前端中，从而将概率性LLM与确定性的、基于工具的操作相结合，类似于使用模型上下文协议（MCP）的实现。该聊天助手还能够通过添加、删除或修改可视化中软件系统的部分来重构软件系统。一项涉及十一名参与者的实证实验评估了感知理解支持和聊天助手触发的工具调用。参与者认为助手生成的摘要和解释大体正确。他们还报告了对于诸如在可视化中高亮实体和创建新颜色主题等操作的高可用性。相比之下，在可视化中进行开放式聊天辅助的软件重构则显示出好坏参半的结果。这表明需要对所采用的LLM设置更强的护栏，并更好地整合用户反馈。总体而言，该助手被认为可用且有前景，能够减少探索性程序理解任务中的交互开销。我们提供了一个展示聊天助手使用情况的视频以及评估中使用的软件系统的复现包。
英文摘要
We present a chat assistant for interactive software exploration, embedded in the 3D software visualization tool ExplorViz. The assistant builds upon current Large Language Models (LLMs) and enables users to ask questions about the currently visualized software system and trigger actions that change the visualization through natural language. We integrate the chat assistant in our ExplorViz frontend using the CopilotKit libraries such that probabilistic LLMs are combined with deterministic and tool-based actions similar to implementations using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The chat assistant is also enabled to restructure the software system by adding, removing, or modifying parts of the software system in the visualization. An empirical experiment with eleven participants evaluated both perceived comprehension support and the tool calls that were triggered by the chat assistant. Participants rated the assistant's generated summaries and explanations as largely correct. They also reported high usability for actions like highlighting entities in the visualization and the creation of new color themes. In contrast, open-ended chat-assisted software restructuring in the visualization showed mixed results. This suggests a need for stronger guardrails for the employed LLM and better incorporation of user feedback. Overall, the assistant was perceived as usable and promising for reducing interaction overhead during exploratory program comprehension tasks. We provide a video presenting the chat assistant's use and a reproduction package of the software system that was used in our evaluation.
Comments11 pages, 5 figures, accepted at VISSOFT 2026
