2022/12/12 by Qingfu Zhu, Zhu, Qingfu, Xianzhen Luo +7 · 2 citations
Computer Science · #Computation and Language (cs.CL) #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Online Learning and Analytics #Software Engineering Research #Software Engineering Techniques and Practices
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2212.05773
openalex publication_date 2022/12/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Natural language processing for programming aims to use NLP techniques to assist programming. It is increasingly prevalent for its effectiveness in improving productivity. Distinct from natural language, a programming language is highly structured and functional. Constructing a structure-based representation and a functionality-oriented algorithm is at the heart of program understanding and generation. In this paper, we conduct a systematic review covering tasks, datasets, evaluation methods, techniques, and models from the perspective of the structure-based and functionality-oriented property, aiming to understand the role of the two properties in each component. Based on the analysis, we illustrate unexplored areas and suggest potential directions for future work.