Software visualization is a research field and methodological approach focused on creating graphical representations of software systems, their processes, and related data to facilitate human understanding and analysis. It investigates the structure, behavior, evolution, and quality of software artifacts by employing visual metaphors, interactive techniques, and analytical methods to reveal patterns, anomalies, and relationships that are difficult to discern from raw source code or data alone, thereby supporting tasks such as comprehension, debugging, maintenance, and teaching.