Development and Adoption of SATD Detection Tools: A State-of-practice Report

TL;DR

This paper confronts the sustainability and practical adoption of SATD detection tools in real software development settings. It uses a systematic literature review to map tool accessibility, revealing that only a few tools remain functional while many links are broken or outdated. The authors identify anti-patterns such as obsolescence, limited interoperability, and insufficient documentation, and propose concrete remedies grounded in FAIR principles, open-source practices, and academia–industry collaboration. The findings emphasize the need for long-term archives, rigorous benchmarking, and alignment with industry needs to ensure SATD tooling remains reliable for software maintenance.

Abstract

Self-Admitted Technical Debt (SATD) refers to instances where developers knowingly introduce suboptimal solutions into code and document them, often through textual artifacts. This paper provides a comprehensive state-of-practice report on the development and adoption of SATD detection tools. Through a systematic review of the available literature and tools, we examined their overall accessibility. Our findings reveal that, although SATD detection tools are crucial for maintaining software quality, many face challenges such as technological obsolescence, poor maintenance, and limited platform compatibility. Only a small number of tools are actively maintained, hindering their widespread adoption. This report discusses common anti-patterns in tool development, proposes corrections, and highlights the need for implementing Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles and fostering greater collaboration between academia and industry to ensure the sustainability and efficacy of these tools. The insights presented here aim to drive more robust management of technical debt and enhance the reliability of SATD tools.