Visualization of domain-specific programs' behavior

Abstract

Program domain concepts are rather complex and low level for a fast assimilation. On the other hand, problem domain concepts are closer to human's mind, hence they are easier to perceive. Based on Brook's theory, a full comprehension of a program is only achieved if both domains are connected and visualized in synchronization, resulting on an action-effect visualization. Domain-specific languages, as languages tailored for a specific class of problems, raise the abstraction of the program domain concepts and approximate them to the problem domain's. This way, a systematic approach can be used to perform the action-effect visualization of a program written in a domain-specific language. In this paper, we use a domain-specific language to exemplify how the concepts involved in both domains are visualized and how it is possible to map each problem domain situation (depicted by images) to the program domain operations.