An integrated CSP-based tool for the visualisation, animation and performance evaluation of message passing algorithms

Abstract

This paper presents ongoing research and development on an integrated tool for the visualisation and animation of message-passing communicating systems described in Hoare 's CSP (Communicating Sequential Processes). It introduces major new developments to the original VisualNets implemented in C++ and reported in 141. The new tool isimplemented partly in Java and partly in the functional programming language Haskell. Not only does the new tool enjoy greater expressive power and a better user integace, it has new capabilities for aiding the user in animating, analysing, and reasoning about CSP spec$cations. These includes provisions for nested parallelism within a single node, improved profiling and animation, and the possibility of applying generic timing cost models for pegormame evaluation.The paper brieJy describes the new features, explains the methods by which they have been implemented and illustrates their use with examples.