Topics, Trends, and Sentiments in Software Testing:
An Analysis of Developers’ Engagement on Stack
Overflow

Topics, Trends, and Sentiments in Software Testing:
An Analysis of Developers’ Engagement on Stack
Overflow

Software Testing, Stack Overflow, Topic
Modeling, Sentiment Analysis, Developer Engagement,
Machine Learning Testing, ChatGPT

This study investigated software testing
discussions on Stack Overflow from 2020 to 2024 to
uncover key trends, topics, and developer sentiments. 14
key topics, including unit testing, machine learning
testing, mobile testing (especially Flutter), and Docker
testing were identified. The study revealed a decline in
developer engagement, as the number of posts answered
and with accepted answers decreased, particularly after
2022. Sentiment analysis showed a predominance of
negative sentiments across most topics, especially in
mobile and machine learning testing. While some topics
like machine learning testing initially saw positive
sentiment, this shifted toward frustration as the years
progressed. These findings suggest that the rise of AIbased tools, such as ChatGPT, has affected the way
developers engage with traditional forums like Stack
Overflow. The decline in engagement and the prevalence
of negative sentiments highlight the challenges developers
face in software testing. This research points to the need
for further investigation into how AI tools influence
developer behavior and their reliance on peer support
platforms. Additionally, it suggests exploring how
sentiment analysis can be integrated into software testing
tools to better address developer frustrations and
improve support for testing emerging technologies. The
study provides insights that could guide the development
of more effective tools and frameworks to enhance the
software testing process

Anthony Wambua Wambua

https://ijcit.com/index.php/ijcit/article/view/545

Department of Computer Science,
Daystar University,
Athi River, Kenya

september 2025

Fajar bagus W

PDF

English

Text