# Code Reveal Shapes Programmers' Visual Attention

> Source: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.24616>
> Published: 2026-09-22 09:58:51+00:00

# Computer Science > Human-Computer Interaction

  [Submitted on 21 Sep 2026]

# Title:Structure-Aware Rendering: How Code Reveal Shapes Programmers' Visual Attention

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Abstract:AI coding interfaces present generated code either all at once or token-by-token. These rendering strategies reflect model generation rather than how programmers actually read code: selectively, non-linearly, and guided by the structure. We argue that code rendering is a first-class interaction primitive that shapes how programmers read and understand code. To explore this design space, we introduce structured rendering, a technique that reveals code in semantically meaningful chunks derived from its syntactic hierarchy, exposing high-level structure before low-level details. To isolate rendering effects on visual attention, we conducted an eye-tracking study with 53 participants comparing static, character-based, and structured rendering. Our findings show that rendering alters visual attention and reading behavior: dynamic rendering induces fewer but longer fixations and more sustained focus, while structured rendering further guides attention toward semantically meaningful units and supports high-level understanding. We release the anonymized dataset with an interactive demo ([this https URL](https://codegaze.vercel.app/)) to support future research.
    

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