{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7128741313","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tr.2026.3664018","title":"API Recommendation for Novice Programmers: From Clear Expressions to Effective Results","display_name":"API Recommendation for Novice Programmers: From Clear Expressions to Effective Results","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7128741313","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tr.2026.3664018"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/tr.2026.3664018","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tr.2026.3664018","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S87725633","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Reliability","issn_l":"0018-9529","issn":["0018-9529","1558-1721"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Transactions on Reliability","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125702237","display_name":"Yong Wang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I70908550","display_name":"Anhui Polytechnic University","ror":"https://ror.org/041sj0284","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I70908550"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yong Wang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2719-1017","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I70908550"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Shuai Meng","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7221-600X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I70908550","display_name":"Anhui Polytechnic University","ror":"https://ror.org/041sj0284","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I70908550"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shuai Meng","raw_affiliation_strings":["Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7221-600X","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I70908550"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5113138275","display_name":"Yingtao Fang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I70908550","display_name":"Anhui Polytechnic University","ror":"https://ror.org/041sj0284","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I70908550"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yingtao Fang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I70908550"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Cuiyun Gao","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8513-6836"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I204983213","display_name":"Harbin Institute of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/01yqg2h08","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I204983213"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cuiyun Gao","raw_affiliation_strings":["Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8513-6836","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I204983213"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125713818","display_name":"Yourui Huang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I70908550","display_name":"Anhui Polytechnic University","ror":"https://ror.org/041sj0284","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I70908550"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yourui Huang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9774-5791","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I70908550"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":5,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.15192704,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"75","issue":null,"first_page":"991","last_page":"1005"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.892300009727478,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.892300009727478,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10639","display_name":"Advanced Software Engineering Methodologies","score":0.027699999511241913,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10743","display_name":"Software Testing and Debugging Techniques","score":0.013899999670684338,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/usability","display_name":"Usability","score":0.7141000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/task","display_name":"Task (project management)","score":0.6225000023841858},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantics","display_name":"Semantics (computer science)","score":0.6158000230789185},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ambiguity","display_name":"Ambiguity","score":0.5746999979019165},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/matching","display_name":"Matching (statistics)","score":0.5394999980926514},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/correctness","display_name":"Correctness","score":0.5364999771118164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code","display_name":"Code (set theory)","score":0.5246999859809875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/similarity","display_name":"Similarity (geometry)","score":0.45159998536109924}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.8828999996185303},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C170130773","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q216378","display_name":"Usability","level":2,"score":0.7141000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780451532","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759676","display_name":"Task (project management)","level":2,"score":0.6225000023841858},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C184337299","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1437428","display_name":"Semantics (computer science)","level":2,"score":0.6158000230789185},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780522230","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1140419","display_name":"Ambiguity","level":2,"score":0.5746999979019165},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C165064840","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1321061","display_name":"Matching (statistics)","level":2,"score":0.5394999980926514},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55439883","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q360812","display_name":"Correctness","level":2,"score":0.5364999771118164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.5246999859809875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C23123220","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q816826","display_name":"Information retrieval","level":1,"score":0.49000000953674316},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C103278499","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q254465","display_name":"Similarity (geometry)","level":3,"score":0.45159998536109924},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.45019999146461487},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C189430467","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7293293","display_name":"Ranking (information retrieval)","level":2,"score":0.44920000433921814},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C175154964","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380077","display_name":"Task analysis","level":3,"score":0.44269999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.3531999886035919},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778493491","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7449072","display_name":"Semantic matching","level":3,"score":0.3508000075817108},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124101348","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q172491","display_name":"Data mining","level":1,"score":0.3400999903678894},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120936955","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2155640","display_name":"Empirical research","level":2,"score":0.33820000290870667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204321447","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30642","display_name":"Natural language processing","level":1,"score":0.337799996137619},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43126263","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128751","display_name":"Source code","level":2,"score":0.3301999866962433},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.2856000065803528},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C99016210","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5488129","display_name":"Query expansion","level":2,"score":0.27230000495910645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.2685000002384186},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C67186912","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q367664","display_name":"Data modeling","level":2,"score":0.26159998774528503},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C557471498","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q554950","display_name":"Recommender system","level":2,"score":0.2529999911785126}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/tr.2026.3664018","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tr.2026.3664018","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S87725633","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Reliability","issn_l":"0018-9529","issn":["0018-9529","1558-1721"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Transactions on Reliability","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.7173361778259277,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/4","display_name":"Quality Education"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":37,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1980867644","https://openalex.org/W2097001189","https://openalex.org/W2402619042","https://openalex.org/W2406365535","https://openalex.org/W2799900537","https://openalex.org/W2888017562","https://openalex.org/W2979143444","https://openalex.org/W3005373223","https://openalex.org/W3014877975","https://openalex.org/W3014901735","https://openalex.org/W3138651963","https://openalex.org/W3160339882","https://openalex.org/W3206247106","https://openalex.org/W3213564796","https://openalex.org/W3214906445","https://openalex.org/W4206256378","https://openalex.org/W4226075195","https://openalex.org/W4284709654","https://openalex.org/W4286530331","https://openalex.org/W4312437398","https://openalex.org/W4313002899","https://openalex.org/W4376606656","https://openalex.org/W4384009837","https://openalex.org/W4388483380","https://openalex.org/W4388671832","https://openalex.org/W4389209075","https://openalex.org/W4389209091","https://openalex.org/W4390204158","https://openalex.org/W4392174035","https://openalex.org/W4392490033","https://openalex.org/W4400609974","https://openalex.org/W4400681079","https://openalex.org/W4400772757","https://openalex.org/W4404222057","https://openalex.org/W4408326921","https://openalex.org/W4408786008","https://openalex.org/W4410176449"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"API":[0,154],"recommendation":[1],"systems":[2],"for":[3],"novice":[4,77],"programmers":[5],"should":[6],"prioritize":[7],"usability":[8],"and":[9,41,46,54,65,93,108,123,144,175,182,191,197,235],"inspiration":[10],"rather":[11],"than":[12,187],"merely":[13],"pursuing":[14],"the":[15,121,140,150],"\u201cbest":[16],"result\u201d.":[17],"Existing":[18],"retrieval-based":[19],"approaches,":[20],"whether":[21],"relying":[22],"on":[23,161],"direct":[24],"similarity":[25],"matching":[26],"or":[27,61],"using":[28],"query":[29,122],"expansion":[30],"to":[31,72],"generate":[32],"clarification":[33],"options,":[34],"still":[35],"cannot":[36],"recover":[37],"missing":[38],"task":[39,125],"semantics":[40,126],"often":[42],"introduce":[43],"additional":[44],"ambiguity":[45],"interaction":[47],"overhead.":[48],"Learning-based":[49],"methods,":[50],"including":[51],"neural":[52],"architectures":[53],"recent":[55],"LLM-driven":[56],"techniques,":[57],"require":[58],"substantial":[59],"data":[60],"strong":[62],"prompt":[63],"dependence":[64],"provide":[66],"limited":[67],"transparency,":[68],"making":[69],"it":[70],"difficult":[71],"align":[73],"model":[74],"outputs":[75],"with":[76,156,219],"programmers'":[78],"actual":[79],"intent.":[80],"To":[81],"address":[82],"these":[83],"limitations,":[84],"we":[85],"propose":[86],"IOCAPI":[87,167,221],"(<italic":[88],"xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"":[89,91,95,98],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">I</i>ntention-<italic":[90],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">O</i>riented":[92],"<italic":[94,97],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">C</i>ontext-Aware":[96],"xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">API</i>":[99],"Recommendation),":[100],"a":[101,169],"reasoning-driven":[102],"framework":[103],"that":[104,166],"integrates":[105],"LLMs,":[106],"LCMs,":[107],"in-context":[109],"learning.":[110],"It":[111],"mainly":[112],"contains":[113],"three":[114,162],"components:":[115],"(1)":[116],"Intent":[117],"Detector,":[118],"which":[119,134,148],"refines":[120],"derives":[124],"through":[127],"model-generated":[128],"I/O":[129,142],"exemplars;":[130],"(2)":[131],"Code":[132],"Generator,":[133],"produces":[135],"representative":[136],"code":[137,158],"snippets":[138],"under":[139],"confirmed":[141],"constraints;":[143],"(3)":[145],"Task":[146],"Bridger,":[147],"consolidates":[149],"results":[151],"into":[152],"actionable":[153],"recommendations":[155],"interpretable":[157],"examples.":[159],"Evaluations":[160],"public":[163],"datasets":[164],"show":[165],"attains":[168],"35.7%":[170],"BLEU":[171],"improvement":[172],"over":[173,180],"APIGen":[174],"an":[176],"11.1%":[177],"MRR":[178],"gain":[179],"CLEAR,":[181],"achieves":[183],"higher":[184,223],"MAP":[185],"scores":[186,225],"GPT-4":[188],"zero-shot,":[189],"few-shot,":[190],"chain-of-thought":[192],"baselines":[193],"by":[194],"102%,":[195],"11.2%,":[196],"21.8%,":[198],"respectively.":[199],"A":[200],"controlled":[201],"user":[202],"study":[203],"involving":[204],"seven":[205],"real":[206],"programming":[207],"tasks":[208],"further":[209],"provides":[210],"empirical":[211],"observations":[212],"of":[213],"IOCAPI's":[214],"behavior":[215],"in":[216,226],"practice.":[217],"Compared":[218],"KAHAID,":[220],"obtained":[222],"average":[224],"Correctness":[227],"(1.67":[228],"vs.":[229,233,238],"1.00),":[230],"Usability":[231],"(1.76":[232],"0.40),":[234],"Inspiration":[236],"(1.40":[237],"0.26).":[239]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-06-11T09:08:48.828518","created_date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00"}
