A Multi-agent Onboarding Assistant based on Large Language Models, Retrieval Augmented Generation, and Chain-of-Thought

Fuente: arXiv
Salvato in:
Dettagli Bibliografici
Autori principali: Ionescu, Andrei Cristian, Titov, Sergey, Izadi, Maliheh
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
Soggetti:
Accesso online:
Tags: Aggiungi Tag
Nessun Tag, puoi essere il primo ad aggiungerne!!
_version_ 1866915218817286144
author Ionescu, Andrei Cristian
Titov, Sergey
Izadi, Maliheh
author_facet Ionescu, Andrei Cristian
Titov, Sergey
Izadi, Maliheh
contents Effective onboarding in software engineering is crucial but difficult due to the fast-paced evolution of technologies. Traditional methods, like exploration and workshops, are costly, time-consuming, and quickly outdated in large projects. We propose the Onboarding Buddy system, which leverages large language models, retrieval augmented generation, and an automated chain-of-thought approach to improve onboarding. It integrates dynamic, context-specific support within the development environment, offering natural language explanations, code insights, and project guidance. Our solution is agent-based and provides customized assistance with minimal human intervention. Our study results among the eight participants show an average helpfulness rating of (M=3.26, SD=0.86) and ease of onboarding at (M=3.0, SD=0.96) out of four. While similar to tools like GitHub Copilot, Onboarding Buddy uniquely integrates a chain-of-thought reasoning mechanism with retrieval-augmented generation, tailored specifically for dynamic onboarding contexts. While our initial evaluation is based on eight participants within one project, we will explore larger teams and multiple real-world codebases in the company to demonstrate broader applicability. Overall, Onboarding Buddy holds great potential for enhancing developer productivity and satisfaction. Our tool, source code, and demonstration video are publicly available
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_23421
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Multi-agent Onboarding Assistant based on Large Language Models, Retrieval Augmented Generation, and Chain-of-Thought
Ionescu, Andrei Cristian
Titov, Sergey
Izadi, Maliheh
Software Engineering
Effective onboarding in software engineering is crucial but difficult due to the fast-paced evolution of technologies. Traditional methods, like exploration and workshops, are costly, time-consuming, and quickly outdated in large projects. We propose the Onboarding Buddy system, which leverages large language models, retrieval augmented generation, and an automated chain-of-thought approach to improve onboarding. It integrates dynamic, context-specific support within the development environment, offering natural language explanations, code insights, and project guidance. Our solution is agent-based and provides customized assistance with minimal human intervention. Our study results among the eight participants show an average helpfulness rating of (M=3.26, SD=0.86) and ease of onboarding at (M=3.0, SD=0.96) out of four. While similar to tools like GitHub Copilot, Onboarding Buddy uniquely integrates a chain-of-thought reasoning mechanism with retrieval-augmented generation, tailored specifically for dynamic onboarding contexts. While our initial evaluation is based on eight participants within one project, we will explore larger teams and multiple real-world codebases in the company to demonstrate broader applicability. Overall, Onboarding Buddy holds great potential for enhancing developer productivity and satisfaction. Our tool, source code, and demonstration video are publicly available
title A Multi-agent Onboarding Assistant based on Large Language Models, Retrieval Augmented Generation, and Chain-of-Thought
topic Software Engineering
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.23421