What model(s) for program understanding?

Abstract: The first objective of this paper is to present and discuss various types of models of program understanding. They are discussed in relation to models of text understanding. The second objective of this paper is to assess the effect of purpose for reading, or more specifically programming task, on the cognitive processes involved and representations constructed in program understanding. This is done in the theoretical framework of van Dijk and Kintsch's model of text understanding (1983).