Treffer: Pyttern: a Python-Based Program Query Language

Despite an abundance of tools available for expressing and detecting structural patterns in program source code, their steep learning curve often creates a barrier for non-expert developers. To address this issue, we present Pyttern, a program query language for Python that is easy to learn and use while maintaining sufficient expressiveness for defining and detecting small structural coding idioms. Pyttern leverages a combination of Python syntax and regex-like wildcards to identify coding patterns. To evaluate the strengths and limitations of our language prototype, we conducted a study involving 30 junior developers. Participants were asked to compare our language with established program query languages by expressing and detecting small coding idioms or flaws. Based on the feedback gathered from this study, we highlight Pyttern's strengths and areas for improvement.