An IDE Plugin for Gamified Continuous Integration
Philipp Straubinger, Gordon Fraser
TL;DR
The paper tackles productivity losses from context switching when gamifying software testing by embedding Gamekins gamification directly into the IntelliJ IDE via a dedicated plugin. It details the integration of challenges, quests, achievements, and leaderboards within the IDE, connecting to a Jenkins-based Gamekins server and providing in-context actions, highlights, and notifications. The key contributions are the IDE-level implementation, a rich UI for challenges and progress, and plans for further enhancements and educational evaluations. The work aims to reduce context-switch costs and improve test-writing motivation, with practical implications for developer workflows and teaching environments.
Abstract
Interruptions and context switches resulting from meetings, urgent tasks, emails, and queries from colleagues contribute to productivity losses in developers' daily routines. This is particularly challenging for tasks like software testing, which are already perceived as less enjoyable, prompting developers to seek distractions. To mitigate this, applying gamification to testing activities can enhance motivation for test writing. One such gamification tool is Gamekins, which integrates challenges, quests, achievements, and leaderboards into the Jenkins CI (continuous integration) platform. However, as Gamekins is typically accessed through a browser, it introduces a context switch. This paper presents an IntelliJ plugin designed to seamlessly integrate Gamekins' gamification elements into the IDE, aiming to minimize context switches and boost developer motivation for test writing.