DIVINE之視覺化隱諭設計架構

Abstract

除錯器對於程式的開發，已經成為一種不可或缺的工具，然而現今的除錯器大多仍停留於文字模式的階段。文字模式的除錯訊息雖然能精確的表達程式狀態，但是卻很難幫助程式設計人員快速理解程式的行為。程式設計人員常常要從文字顯示的除錯訊息中自行建構出資料結構的模型來幫助除錯。 為了提供一個視覺化的除錯環境，本實驗室實做了一個三維空間的視覺化除錯環境-DIVINE(Debugging Information Visualization in 3D Environment)。它透過本實驗室的另一個程式-YAJDB，所提供的除錯資訊進行視覺化。為了讓使用者對於視覺化的內容，有更多的選擇，DIVINE分離了視覺化隱喻(Visualization Metaphor, VM)設計與系統功能。提供另外一種角色稱之為視覺化隱喻程式設計師(VM Programmer)來專心設計視覺化隱喻 。 DIVINE 是一個易於撰寫視覺化隱喻的環境，新的設計有利於在DIVINE中加入新的視覺化隱喻。讓使用者可以根據程式的內容，選擇更適合的視覺化呈現方式。 本論文的目的即在於提供視覺化隱喻程式設計師，一個獨立於硬體設備之外的設計環境，使設計者能專心於視覺化隱喻內容及呈現方式的計設，而不需深入了解視覺化環境的內容與硬體設備之間的溝通等等問題。

Debugger has been an important tool for software development. However, most debuggers still show the debugging information in textual form. However, programmers can have better comprehension of the program states if they are shown in graphic model directed graph in most text books. To provide a visualized debugging environment, we develop a 3D debugging environment – DIVINE (Debugging Information Visualization in 3D Environment). It communicates with a tool called YAJDB. YAJDB can provide the debugging information for visualization. In order to provide users more choices in visualization, we propose to separating visualization metaphors (VM) programming from DIVINE. The idea allows visualization metaphors to be programmed by the so-called VM programmer. Our framework encourages an easy visualization metaphor programming paradigm. Tool users can choose the suitable visualization metaphors to suit their needs. The goal of this thesis is to provide a new Visualization Metaphor Programming Paradigms that is independent of input device, system architecture, and the data store. Using this design, VM programmers can concentrate on designing visualization metaphors to render datum in different ways.