The transparent PROLOG machine (TPM): an execution model and graphical debugger for logic programming

Eisenstadt, Marc; Brayshaw, Mike

doi:10.1016/0743-1066(88)90001-5

Cited by 77 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…One such approach is seen in the Transparent Prolog Machine [14] and the successor system MRE. These systems provide a visualization of Prolog execution that have been used for debugging, understanding the semantics of Prolog, and program understanding [15].…”

Section: Non-procedural Visualizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual representations of executing programs

Reiss

2007

Journal of Visual Languages & Computing

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Section: Non-procedural Visualizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual representations of executing programs

Reiss

2007

Journal of Visual Languages & Computing

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“…In order to try to make it more understandable, TPM (the Transparen rolog Machine) [82] generates pictures of the execution of Prolog programs. TPM will pro-, b duce nicely formatted pictures after a program has completed (so it is classified as ''static'') ut it will also show an animation of the code executing on less well-formatted pictures (so it is also listed as ''dynamic'').…”

Section: Static Code Visualizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomies of visual programming and program visualization

Myers

1990

Journal of Visual Languages & Computing

363

145

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“…TPM (Transparent Prolog Machine) (Brayshaw and Eisenstadt, 1991;Eisenstadt and Brayshaw, 1988) (figure 1, bottom left) aimed to provide the very detailed account provided by PTP in a much more accessible form. TPM uses an AND/OR tree model of Prolog execution.…”

Section: Developing a Software Visualization Test-bedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using a fine-grained comparative evaluation technique to understand and design software visualization tools

Mulholland

1997

Papers Presented at the Seventh Workshop on Empirical Studies of Programmers - ESP '97

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Software Visualization can be defined as the use of graphical and textual formalisms to describe the execution of computer programs. A large amount of Software Visualization technology has been developed to support computer science education, using a range of interface techniques. Far less effort has been devoted to evaluating the technology. As a result, it is unclear how effective Software Visualization tools are, either for students or professional programmers. Even more worrying, it is doubtful whether lessons are being learnt in successive designs of Software Visualization tools, or whether the application of new technologies (e.g. 3D animation and the intemet) has become the primary goal, rather than the true goal of making computer programs easier to understand. To counter this problem the study reported here used protocol analysis to develop a fine-grained account of user behaviour, identifying (i) information access from the display, (ii) the use of comprehension strategies, and (iii) misunderstandings of the visualization and execution. The results were able to motivate future deigns which in turn could be compared and improved. The approach is compared to other evaluation techniques which aim to inform design. Finally, the generalizability of the approach is considered. INTRODUCTIONThis paper presents a framework for the principled evaluation and design of Software Visualization (SV) technology. SV is the process of using techniques such as typography, graphic design, animation and cinematography to provide representations of a program and its execution. Though a great deal of research effort is being devoted to SV development, SVs are still not widely used in practice, either by professional programmers or within computer programming education. Price, Small and Baecker (1993) argue an important reason why the technology has not been readily taken up is because its benefits have not been clearly demonstrated. Allied to this, is the uncertainty as to whether SV technology is improving, by learning lessons from earlier systems and using these lessons to motivate designs of the future. The SV field is certainly progressing technologically, though whether it is progressing from a cognitive or educational perspective is unclear.There have been a few empirical evaluations of SV technology. These have generally been coarsegrained, measuring how quickly or successfully certain tasks can be carried out with various SVs. These studies can provide estimates as to which SV "is best" for certain tasks or users but tell us little about "why". This paper reports on the development and application of a new methodology.The methodology uses protocol analysis (Ericsson and Simon, 1984) to gain cognitive evidence as to how SVs are used and understood. Previous research in the psychology of programming can be used to determine the types of cognitive evidence we can expect to identify within the protocols of subjects using a SV. SVs are intended to support the programmer in the tasks of program comprehension and de...

show abstract

The transparent PROLOG machine (TPM): an execution model and graphical debugger for logic programming

Cited by 77 publications

References 4 publications

Visual representations of executing programs

Visual representations of executing programs

Taxonomies of visual programming and program visualization

Using a fine-grained comparative evaluation technique to understand and design software visualization tools

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