{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4414258373","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17090418","title":"Refactoring Loops in the Era of LLMs: A Comprehensive Study","display_name":"Refactoring Loops in the Era of LLMs: A Comprehensive Study","publication_year":2025,"publication_date":"2025-09-12","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4414258373","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17090418"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.3390/fi17090418","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17090418","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S34838331","display_name":"Future Internet","issn_l":"1999-5903","issn":["1999-5903"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310310987","host_organization_name":"Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310310987"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Future Internet","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17090418","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5064043728","display_name":"Alessandro Midolo","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9575-8054"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I39063666","display_name":"University of Catania","ror":"https://ror.org/03a64bh57","country_code":"IT","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I39063666"]}],"countries":["IT"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Alessandro Midolo","raw_affiliation_strings":["Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I39063666"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5011707033","display_name":"Emiliano Tramontana","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7169-659X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I39063666","display_name":"University of Catania","ror":"https://ror.org/03a64bh57","country_code":"IT","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I39063666"]}],"countries":["IT"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Emiliano Tramontana","raw_affiliation_strings":["Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I39063666"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5011707033"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I39063666"],"apc_list":{"value":1400,"currency":"CHF","value_usd":1515},"apc_paid":{"value":1400,"currency":"CHF","value_usd":1515},"fwci":2.0252,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":3,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.87558151,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":91,"max":99},"biblio":{"volume":"17","issue":"9","first_page":"418","last_page":"418"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13552","display_name":"Advanced Materials Characterization Techniques","score":0.5210999846458435,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2204","display_name":"Biomedical Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13552","display_name":"Advanced Materials Characterization Techniques","score":0.5210999846458435,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2204","display_name":"Biomedical Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11201","display_name":"Metallurgy and Material Forming","score":0.5188000202178955,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2211","display_name":"Mechanics of Materials"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11181","display_name":"Advanced Data Storage Technologies","score":0.48809999227523804,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"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/code-refactoring","display_name":"Code refactoring","score":0.9902999997138977},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/correctness","display_name":"Correctness","score":0.6916999816894531},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/java","display_name":"Java","score":0.5056999921798706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/set","display_name":"Set (abstract data type)","score":0.46779999136924744},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/quality","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","score":0.41190001368522644},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software","display_name":"Software","score":0.39980000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-evolution","display_name":"Software evolution","score":0.3862999975681305},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-development","display_name":"Software development","score":0.3619000017642975}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C152752567","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116877","display_name":"Code refactoring","level":3,"score":0.9902999997138977},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.89410001039505},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55439883","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q360812","display_name":"Correctness","level":2,"score":0.6916999816894531},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.5898000001907349},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.5755000114440918},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C548217200","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q251","display_name":"Java","level":2,"score":0.5056999921798706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177264268","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1514741","display_name":"Set (abstract data type)","level":2,"score":0.46779999136924744},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779530757","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1207505","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.41190001368522644},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.39980000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C202105479","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q265013","display_name":"Software evolution","level":5,"score":0.3862999975681305},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.3619000017642975},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188198153","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1613840","display_name":"Limiting","level":2,"score":0.3402999937534332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.33889999985694885},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133237599","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2295111","display_name":"Code smell","level":5,"score":0.33739998936653137},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C117447612","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1412670","display_name":"Software quality","level":4,"score":0.33550000190734863},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C60051680","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30267","display_name":"Aspect-oriented programming","level":3,"score":0.3353999853134155},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.3327000141143799},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C149091818","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2429814","display_name":"Software system","level":3,"score":0.2818000018596649},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43126263","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128751","display_name":"Source code","level":2,"score":0.2784000039100647},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781009160","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q735604","display_name":"AspectJ","level":4,"score":0.2632000148296356},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97686452","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7604153","display_name":"Static analysis","level":2,"score":0.259799987077713},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98183937","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2112188","display_name":"Program analysis","level":2,"score":0.2563999891281128}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.3390/fi17090418","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17090418","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S34838331","display_name":"Future Internet","issn_l":"1999-5903","issn":["1999-5903"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310310987","host_organization_name":"Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310310987"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Future Internet","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:doaj.org/article:9943c61bcc354e99b6e9607f42c36d9f","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doaj.org/article/9943c61bcc354e99b6e9607f42c36d9f","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S112646816","display_name":"SHILAP Revista de lepidopterolog\u00eda","issn_l":"0300-5267","issn":["0300-5267","2340-4078"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"Future Internet, Vol 17, Iss 9, p 418 (2025)","raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.3390/fi17090418","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17090418","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S34838331","display_name":"Future Internet","issn_l":"1999-5903","issn":["1999-5903"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310310987","host_organization_name":"Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310310987"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Future Internet","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":30,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1971650562","https://openalex.org/W2048960787","https://openalex.org/W2113157806","https://openalex.org/W2764146461","https://openalex.org/W2886799409","https://openalex.org/W2943810095","https://openalex.org/W3023891024","https://openalex.org/W3034336612","https://openalex.org/W3173543662","https://openalex.org/W3200836273","https://openalex.org/W4234852849","https://openalex.org/W4280548749","https://openalex.org/W4308641593","https://openalex.org/W4312856512","https://openalex.org/W4391558404","https://openalex.org/W4392519453","https://openalex.org/W4393305539","https://openalex.org/W4399203759","https://openalex.org/W4400242312","https://openalex.org/W4400582696","https://openalex.org/W4401543487","https://openalex.org/W4401543527","https://openalex.org/W4401543590","https://openalex.org/W4401543925","https://openalex.org/W4403278207","https://openalex.org/W4405602392","https://openalex.org/W4405642140","https://openalex.org/W4408028112","https://openalex.org/W4408077546","https://openalex.org/W4411359983"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Java":[0,7],"8":[1],"brought":[2],"functional":[3,37],"programming":[4],"to":[5,17,35,61,103,137],"the":[6,33,36,44,148,155,160,193],"language":[8],"and":[9,14,133,141,153,157,184,195,202],"library,":[10],"enabling":[11],"more":[12,172],"expressive":[13],"concise":[15],"code":[16],"replace":[18],"loops":[19,52,120,126,152,173],"by":[20,114],"using":[21],"streams.":[22,107,122],"Despite":[23],"such":[24,111,151],"advantages,":[25],"for-loops":[26,105],"remain":[27],"prevalent":[28],"in":[29,43,93,118,199],"current":[30],"codebases":[31],"as":[32],"transition":[34],"paradigm":[38],"requires":[39],"a":[40,56,77,112],"significant":[41],"shift":[42],"developer":[45],"mindset.":[46],"Traditional":[47],"approaches":[48],"for":[49,80,206],"assisting":[50],"refactoring":[51,139,149,201,209],"into":[53,106,121,192],"streams":[54],"check":[55],"set":[57],"of":[58,150,159,197],"strict":[59],"preconditions":[60],"ensure":[62],"correct":[63],"transformation,":[64],"hence":[65],"limiting":[66],"their":[67],"applicability.":[68],"Conversely,":[69],"generative":[70],"artificial":[71],"intelligence":[72],"(AI),":[73],"particularly":[74],"ChatGPT,":[75],"is":[76],"promising":[78],"tool":[79],"automating":[81],"software":[82],"engineering":[83],"tasks,":[84],"including":[85],"refactoring.":[86],"While":[87],"prior":[88],"studies":[89],"examined":[90],"ChatGPT\u2019s":[91,116],"assistance":[92],"various":[94],"development":[95],"contexts,":[96],"none":[97],"have":[98],"specifically":[99],"investigated":[100],"its":[101],"ability":[102],"refactor":[104,170],"This":[108,187],"paper":[109],"addresses":[110],"gap":[113],"evaluating":[115],"effectiveness":[117],"transforming":[119],"We":[123,143],"analyzed":[124],"2132":[125],"extracted":[127],"from":[128],"four":[129],"open-source":[130],"GitHub":[131],"repositories":[132],"classified":[134],"them":[135],"according":[136],"traditional":[138,175],"templates":[140],"preconditions.":[142],"then":[144],"tasked":[145],"ChatGPT":[146,167,198],"with":[147,180],"evaluated":[154],"correctness":[156],"quality":[158],"generated":[161],"code.":[162],"Our":[163],"findings":[164],"revealed":[165],"that":[166],"could":[168],"successfully":[169],"many":[171],"than":[174],"approaches,":[176],"although":[177],"it":[178],"struggled":[179],"complex":[181],"control":[182],"flows":[183],"implicit":[185],"dependencies.":[186],"study":[188],"provides":[189],"new":[190],"insights":[191],"strengths":[194],"limitations":[196],"loop-to-stream":[200],"outlines":[203],"potential":[204],"improvements":[205],"future":[207],"AI-driven":[208],"tools.":[210]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-03-27T05:58:40.876381","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}
