COMment MenTOR (COMTOR) is a toolset for automatically assessing the quality of source code comments. Since comments possess a more free-form nature than most constructs in traditional programming languages, the process of grading this type of documentation requires a significant amount of manual effort. COMTOR will automate and reduce the effort of grading comments. At the same time, the use of COMTOR will give students a feedback process which allows them to self-assess the quality of their comments before submitting assignments for grading. A comprehensive assessment will determine whether the quantity and quality of commenting improves with the use of COMTOR as well as establishing whether advanced or introductory programming students benefit more from its use.
The COMTOR suite is under development as a Sourceforge open source code project to be deployed at no cost as a web service, as modules for the WebCAT framework and as plug-ins for the Eclipse IDE. The multi-platform deployment will provide access to a large number of users. COMTOR's community of users, both educators and students, will provide formative feedback on usability.
Use of COMTOR may lead to improvements in the frequency with which students write and modify comments, and the quality of the comments themselves. Comments and other documentation which encourage the practice of reflective design and continuous evaluation during development have the potential for a transformative effect on the software industry.
