SEEDE: Simultaneous Execution and Editing in a Development Environment

Abstract

We introduce a tool within the Code Bubbles development environment that allows for continuous execution as the programmer edits. The tool, SEEDE, shows both the intermediate and final results of execution in terms of variables, control and data flow, output, and graphics. These results are updated as the user edits. The tool can be used to help the user write new code or to find and fix bugs. The tool is explicitly designed to let the user quickly explore the execution of a method along with all the code it invokes, possibly while writing or modifying the code. The user can start continuous execution either at a breakpoint or for a test case. This paper describes the tool, its implementation, and its user interface. It presents an initial user study of the tool demonstrating its potential utility.