1,014 research outputs found
A survey of compiler development aids
A theoretical background was established for the compilation process by dividing it into five phases and explaining the concepts and algorithms that underpin each. The five selected phases were lexical analysis, syntax analysis, semantic analysis, optimization, and code generation. Graph theoretical optimization techniques were presented, and approaches to code generation were described for both one-pass and multipass compilation environments. Following the initial tutorial sections, more than 20 tools that were developed to aid in the process of writing compilers were surveyed. Eight of the more recent compiler development aids were selected for special attention - SIMCMP/STAGE2, LANG-PAK, COGENT, XPL, AED, CWIC, LIS, and JOCIT. The impact of compiler development aids were assessed some of their shortcomings and some of the areas of research currently in progress were inspected
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Formalizing graphical notations
The thesis describes research into graphical notations for software engineering, with a principal interest in ways of formalizing them. The research seeks to provide a theoretical basis that will help in designing both notations and the software tools that process them.
The work starts from a survey of literature on notation, followed by a review of techniques for formal description and for computational handling of notations. The survey concentrates on collecting views of the benefits and the problems attending notation use in software development; the review covers picture description languages, grammars and tools such as generic editors and visual programming environments. The main problem of notation is found to be a lack of any coherent, rigorous description methods. The current approaches to this problem are analysed as lacking in consensus on syntax specification and also lacking a clear focus on a defined concept of notated expression.
To address these deficiencies, the thesis embarks upon an exploration of serniotic, linguistic and logical theory; this culminates in a proposed formalization of serniosis in notations, using categorial model theory as a mathematical foundation. An argument about the structure of sign systems leads to an analysis of notation into a layered system of tractable theories, spanning the gap between expressive pictorial medium and subject domain. This notion of 'tectonic' theory aims to treat both diagrams and formulae together.
The research gives details of how syntactic structure can be sketched in a mathematical sense, with examples applying to software development diagrams, offering a new solution to the problem of notation specification. Based on these methods, the thesis discusses directions for resolving the harder problems of supporting notation design, processing and computer-aided generic editing. A number of future research areas are thereby opened up. For practical trial of the ideas, the work proceeds to the development and partial implementation of a system to aid the design of notations and editors. Finally the thesis is evaluated as a contribution to theory in an area which has not attracted a standard approach
Gentleman : a lightweight web-based projectional editor
Lors de la conception et la manipulation de logiciel par modĂ©lisation, il est avantageux de bĂ©nĂ©ïŹcier dâun grand degrĂ© de libertĂ© au niveau de la prĂ©sentation aïŹn de comprendre lâinformation et prendre une action en exerçant peu dâeïŹort cognitif et physique. Cette caractĂ©ristique doit aussi sâĂ©tendre aux outils que nous employons aïŹn que ceux-ci augmentent nos capacitĂ©s, plutĂŽt que les restreindre. En gĂ©nie logiciel, nous travaillons prĂ©sentement Ă rehausser encore le niveau dâabstraction aïŹn de rĂ©duire le rĂŽle central du code dĂ©crit avec un langage de programmation Ă usage gĂ©nĂ©ral. Ceci permettrait dâinclure les experts non techniques dans les activitĂ©s de dĂ©veloppement de logiciel. Cette approche, centralisĂ©e sur le domaine et lâexpert, sâinscrit dans lâingĂ©nierie dirigĂ©e par les modĂšles (IDM), oĂč un modĂšle est produit et manipulĂ© par divers experts et utilisateurs. Le modĂšle est alors dĂ©crit avec un langage crĂ©Ă© spĂ©ciïŹquement pour un domaine dâapplication ou une tache, appelĂ© langage dĂ©diĂ© (DSL). Une technique utilisĂ©e pour crĂ©er ces modĂšles et leurs DSL est le projectional editing, qui permet dâutiliser des notations diverses interchangeables et dâĂ©tendre et composer facilement un langage. Toutefois, les solutions actuelles sont lourdes, spĂ©ciïŹques Ă une plateforme, et manquent considĂ©rablement dâutilisabilitĂ©, limitant ainsi lâusage et lâexploitation de cette approche. Pour mieux reïŹĂ©ter les avantages du paradigme IDM avec le style
projectionnel, nous introduisons dans cette thĂšse Gentleman, un Ă©diteur projectionnel lĂ©ger sur le web. Avec Gentleman, le dĂ©veloppeur crĂ©e un modĂšle en combinant des concepts utilisĂ©s pour dĂ©ïŹnir la structure du modĂšle et des projections pour les manipuler dans lâĂ©diteur. Nous avons Ă©valuĂ© Gentleman Ă travers une Ă©tude basĂ©e sur un groupe dâutilisateur. LâĂ©tude
a conïŹrmĂ© sa capacitĂ© Ă crĂ©er et manipuler des modĂšles eïŹcacement. Les participants ont notĂ© quâil est facile de prendre en main Gentleman et que lâinterface est trĂšs intuitive comparativement aux Ă©diteurs existants. Nous avons aussi intĂ©grĂ© Gentleman avec succĂšs Ă une plateforme web, dĂ©montrant ainsi ses capacitĂ©s dâinteropĂ©rabilitĂ© et lâavantage dâune solution
web.In software activities and, more specifically, when modeling, the modeler should benefit from as much freedom as possible to understand the presented information and take action with minimal cognitive and mechanical effort. This characteristic should also apply to the tools used in the process so that they extend our capabilities rather than limit them. In the field of software engineering, current work aims to push the level of abstraction past general-purpose programming language into domain-specific modeling. This enables domain experts with various backgrounds to participate in software development activities. This vision is central to model-driven engineering (MDE) where, instead of code, various experts and users produce and manipulate domain-specific language (DSL). In recent years, projectional editing has proven to be a valid approach to creating and manipulating DSLs, as it supports various easily interchangeable notations and enables language extension and composition. However, current solutions are heavyweight, platform-specific, and suffer from poor usability.
To better support this paradigm and minimize the risk of accidental complexity in terms of expressiveness, in this thesis, we introduce Gentleman, a lightweight web-based projectional editor. With Gentleman, a developer creates a model by combining concepts used to define its structure and projections to interact and manipulate them in the editor. We have evaluated Gentleman through a user study. The evaluation confirmed its capacity to create and manipulate models effectively. Most participants noted that the editor is very user-friendly and intuitive compared to existing editors. We have also successfully integrated Gentleman into a web application, demonstrating its interoperability and the benefit of a web solution
Surface interaction : separating direct manipulation interfaces from their applications.
To promote both quality and economy in the production of applications and their
interactive interfaces, it is desirable to delay their mutual binding. The later the binding,
the more separable the interface from its application. An ideally separated
interface can factor tasks from a range of applications, can provide a level of independence
from hardware I/O devices, and can be responsive to end-user requirements.
Current interface systems base their separation on two different abstractions.
In linguistic architectures, for example User Interface Management Systems in the
Seeheim model, the dialogue or syntax of interaction is abstracted in a separate
notation. In agent architectures like Toolkits, interactive devices, at various levels of
complexity, are abstracted into a class or call hierarchy.
This Thesis identifies an essential feature of the popular notion of direct manipulation:
directness requires that the same object be used both for output and input.
In practice this compromises the separation of both dialogue and devices. In addition,
dialogue cannot usefully be abstracted from its application functionality, while
device abstraction reduces the designer's expressive control by binding presentation
style to application semantics.
This Thesis proposes an alternative separation, based on the abstraction of
the medium of interaction, together with a dedicated user agent which allows direct
manipulation of the medium. This interactive medium is called the surface. The Thesis
proposes two new models for the surface, the first of which has been
implemented as Presenter, the second of which is an ideal design permitting document
quality interfaces.
The major contribution of the Thesis is a precise specification of an architecture
(UMA), whereby a separated surface can preserve directness without binding in
application semantics, and at the same time an application can express its semantics
on the surface without needing to manage all the details of interaction. Thus
UMA partitions interaction into Surface Interaction, and deep interaction. Surface
Interaction factors a large portion of the task of maintaining a highly manipulable
interface, and brings the roles of user and application designer closer
Design Concepts for Automating Maintenance Instructions
This research task was performed under the Technology for Readiness and Sustainment (TRS) contract (F33615-99-D-6001) for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Sustainment Logistics Branch (HESS) at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. The period of performance spanned one year starting 29 January 1999. The objective of this task was to develop and demonstrate a framework that can support the automated validation and verification of aircraft maintenance Technical Orders (TOs). The research team examined all stages ofTO generation to determine which tasks most warranted further research. From that investigation, validation and verification of appropriate, safe, and correct procedure steps emerged as the primary research target. This process would be based on available computer-aided design (CAD) data, procedure step ordering from existing sources, and human models. This determination was based on which tasks could yield the greatest impact on the authoring process and offer the greatest potential economic benefits. The team then developed a research roadmap and outlined specific technologies to be addressed in possible subsequent Air Force research tasks. To focus on the potential technology integration of the validation and verification component into existing or future TO generation procedures, we defined a demonstration scenario. Using the Front Uplock Hook assembly from an F/A-18 as the subject, we examined task procedure steps and failures that could be exposed by automated validation tools. These included hazards to personnel, damage to equipment, and incorrect disassembly order. Using the Parameterized Action Representation (PAR) developed on previous projects for actions and equipment behaviors, we characterized procedure steps and their positive and negative consequences. Finally, we illustrated a hypothetical user interface extension to a typical Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) authoring system to demonstrate how this process might appear to the TO author
Constructing 3D faces from natural language interface
This thesis presents a system by which 3D images of human faces can be constructed
using a natural language interface. The driving force behind the project was the need to
create a system whereby a machine could produce artistic images from verbal or
composed descriptions. This research is the first to look at constructing and modifying
facial image artwork using a natural language interface.
Specialised modules have been developed to control geometry of 3D polygonal head
models in a commercial modeller from natural language descriptions. These modules
were produced from research on human physiognomy, 3D modelling techniques and
tools, facial modelling and natural language processing. [Continues.
Any tool works if you are using the language: the role of knowledge in ICT integration in a Johannesburg private school
A research report submitted to the Wits School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Education by combination of coursework and research.
Johannesburg 2016Increasingly teachers are expected to integrate ICTs into their teaching practice. Recent studies have focused on the role played by teachersâ technological pedagogical content knowledge in explaining how they exploit the affordances offered by the new digital technologies, and yet the pace of integration has been far slower than expected.
Education is founded on the business of knowledge, and yet there is a knowledge blindness in educational research. This study tries to discern what effect subject specialization and knowledge has on teacherâs adoption of ICTs into their pedagogical practice, using the framework of Legitimation Code Theory, in particular semantic waves. Seeing ICT practices as affording both knower and knowledge practices, and as affording gravitation or levitation allows us to start to unpack further how the forms knowledge takes influences decisions around ICT adoption.MT201
Baltic Journal of English Language, Literature and Culture, Vol.10
Kontorslokaler nyttjas generellt cirka 2500 av Ärets 8760 timmar. Ett vanligt problem med kontorslokaler Àr det termiska klimatet, antingen Àr det för varmt, för kallt, eller sÄ drar det. Höga temperaturer, över ca 26°C, bidrar till trötthet, nedsatt koncentration och gör att luften kÀnns mindre frÀsch. Stora variationen av lasten mellan dag och nattetid kan ocksÄ resultera i att lokalerna överventileras under nattetid och underventileras under dagtid. Syftet med examensarbetet var att undersöka och jÀmföra Ecoclimes komforttaks lösning med andra olika vÀrme och kylsystem i kontorslokaler. Att undersöka vilka eventuella fördelar Ecoclimes komforttak har gÀllande komfort, kyla, ventilation och ur energisynpunkt. Simuleringsprogrammet IDA ICE har anvÀnts för att simulera komforten och rumstemperaturer för ett kontor och ett konferensrum i en byggnad placerad i centrala UmeÄ. Resultaten frÄn simuleringar indikerar att Ecoclimes komforttak, sÀnker den operativa temperaturen och höjer komforten med en mindre andel missnöjda i sitt rum jÀmfört med andra system trots samma rumstemperatur. För att bedömma andelen missnöjda i ett rum har komfortindexet PMV(Predicted mean vote) och PPD(Predicted percentage dissatisfied) anvÀnts. Den höga passiva effekten bidrar ocksÄ till mindre energianvÀndning av ventilationsflÀktar ifall ett VAV-system med rumstempertaurreglering anvÀnds. Vidare har en kÀnslighetsanalys genomförts pÄ komforttaken dÀr det undersöks hur kyleffekten pÄverkar kyltider, temperatur och komfort. KÀnslighetsanalysen visar att en ökning eller minskning av kyleffekten med 10% pÄverkar resultaten mest under en mycket varm dag jÀmfört med en normalvarm. Skillnaden i komfort var dock liten, endast 0,2 procentenheter frÄn grundfallet
Pattern-based segmentation of digital documents: model and implementation
This thesis proposes a new document model, according to which any document can be segmented in some independent components and transformed in a pattern-based projection, that only uses a very small set of objects and composition rules. The point is that such a normalized document expresses the same fundamental information of the original one, in a simple, clear and unambiguous way. The central part of my work consists of discussing that model, investigating how a digital document can be segmented, and how a segmented version can be used to implement advanced tools of conversion. I present seven patterns which are versatile enough to capture the most relevant documentsâ structures, and whose minimality and rigour make that implementation possible. The abstract model is then instantiated into an actual markup language, called IML. IML is a general and extensible language, which basically adopts an XHTML syntax, able to capture a posteriori the only content of a digital document. It is compared with other languages and proposals, in order to clarify its role and
objectives. Finally, I present some systems built upon these ideas. These applications are evaluated in terms of usersâ advantages, workflow improvements and impact over the overall quality of the output. In particular, they cover heterogeneous content management processes: from web editing to collaboration (IsaWiki and WikiFactory), from e-learning (IsaLearning) to professional printing (IsaPress)
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