Sharing Is Scaring: Linking Cloud File-Sharing to Programming Language Semantics
11 days ago
- #cloud file-sharing
- #programming semantics
- #user study
- Users struggle with cloud file-sharing applications due to interface flaws and misunderstanding operations like linking, attaching, downloading, and editing.
- The study connects these difficulties to programming language concepts such as aliasing, copying, and mutation.
- A formative user study reveals widespread misunderstandings in file-sharing tasks, mirroring programming-education misconceptions.
- A formal semantics of cloud file-sharing operations is developed to improve mental models, educational tools, and automated assistance.
- The semantics supports applications like trace checking, workflow synthesis, and interactive feedback.
- Supplemental materials, including a Forge model and Cope and Drag specification, are available online.