GRASP/Ada (Graphical Representations of Algorithms, Structures, and Processes for Ada): The development of a program analysis environment for Ada. Reverse engineering tools for Ada, task 1, phase 2

The study, formulation, and generation of structures for Ada (GRASP/Ada) are discussed in this second phase report of a three phase effort. Various graphical representations that can be extracted or generated from source code are described and categorized with focus on reverse engineering. The overall goal is to provide the foundation for a CASE (computer-aided software design) environment in which reverse engineering and forward engineering (development) are tightly coupled. Emphasis is on a subset of architectural diagrams that can be generated automatically from source code with the control structure diagram (CSD) included for completeness

GRASP/Ada: Graphical Representations of Algorithms, Structures, and Processes for Ada. The development of a program analysis environment for Ada: Reverse engineering tools for Ada, task 2, phase 3

The main objective is the investigation, formulation, and generation of graphical representations of algorithms, structures, and processes for Ada (GRASP/Ada). The presented task, in which various graphical representations that can be extracted or generated from source code are described and categorized, is focused on reverse engineering. The following subject areas are covered: the system model; control structure diagram generator; object oriented design diagram generator; user interface; and the GRASP library

The development of a program analysis environment for Ada: Reverse engineering tools for Ada

The Graphical Representations of Algorithms, Structures, and Processes for Ada (GRASP/Ada) has successfully created and prototyped a new algorithm level graphical representation for Ada software, the Control Structure Diagram (CSD). The primary impetus for creation of the CSD was to improve the comprehension efficiency of Ada software and thus improve reliability and reduce costs. The emphasis was on the automatic generation of the CSD from Ada source code to support reverse engineering and maintenance. The CSD has the potential to replace traditional prettyprinted Ada source code. In Phase 1 of the GRASP/Ada project, the CSD graphical constructs were created and applied manually to several small Ada programs. A prototype (Version 1) was designed and implemented using FLEX and BISON running under the Virtual Memory System (VMS) on a VAX 11-780. In Phase 2, the prototype was improved and ported to the Sun 4 platform under UNIX. A user interface was designed and partially implemented. The prototype was applied successfully to numerous Ada programs ranging in size from several hundred to several thousand lines of source code. In Phase 3 of the project, the prototype was prepared for limited distribution (GRASP/Ada Version 3.0) to facilitate evaluation. The user interface was extensively reworked. The current prototype provides the capability for the user to generate CSD from Ada source code in a reverse engineering mode with a level of flexibility suitable for practical application

Der verteilte Fahrerinteraktionsraum

Fahrrelevante und unterhaltungsbezogene Informationen werden, historisch betrachtet, räumlich getrennt im Fahrzeuginnenraum angeordnet: Für die Fahraufgabe notwendige Anzeigen befinden sich direkt vor dem Fahrer (Kombiinstrument und Head-Up Display) und Inhalte des Fahrerinformationssystems in der Mittelkonsole (zentrales Informationsdisplay). Aktuell ist eine Auflösung dieser strikten Trennung zu beobachten. Beispielsweise werden im Kombiinstrument Teilumfänge der Infotainmentinhalte abgerufen und bedient. Um dem Fahrer einen sicheren Umgang mit den zunehmenden Infotainmentinhalten zu ermöglichen, die Komplexität des Fahrerinteraktionsraumes zu reduzieren und den Kundennutzen zu steigern, betrachtet die vorliegende Arbeit die derzeit isolierten Displays ganzheitlich und lotet die Grenzen der momentan strikten Informationsverteilung neu aus. Es werden Grundlagen für die verkehrsgerechte Bedienung und Darstellung verteilter Informationen abhängig von deren Anzeigefläche gelegt, Konzepte zur nutzerinitiierten Individualisierung entwickelt und das Zusammenspiel von unterschiedlichen Anzeigeflächen evaluiert. Die in dieser Arbeit durchgeführten Studien zeigen, dass der räumlich verteilte Fahrerinteraktionsraum die Bedienung des Fahrerinformationssystems für den Nutzer sicherer und attraktiver gestaltet

The feasibility of electronic journals: some studies in human–computer interaction

Computer-based tools for communication are a recent technological development. They promise to provide new routes by which to communicate with others and to transform some communications that have hitherto been dependent on media such as paper. One example is the possibility of supporting scholarly communication by the use of electronic systems, which also promises a method by which the information explosion might be handled. The research is an examinat4on of whether or not the support of scholarly communication in this way is feasible. To investigate communication systems requires a large scale study over a long period. Accordingly the research rests on a study programme on 'electronic journals', BLEND, which ran from 1980 to 1984, funded by the British Library Research and Development Department. The feasibility of ielectronic journals is investigated by exploring the usability, utility, likeability and cost-effectiveness of the communications system. An analysis of the frequency and distribution of the use of the computer-based communications system showed that many things seemed to get in the way of accessing it. Several techniques were used to examine this: transaction recording, interviews, telephone surveys, questionnaires and analysis of requests for help. Once the system was accessed, a comparison of users' aims with actual use shows that different forms of the journal should be explored in the future. Two reasons for the access rate and type of use made of the system was the degree to which researchers were able to accommodate the use of a new communications system into existing patterns of work and the level of usability of the system. One area in usability that is explored in detail is the way that text can be read easily on a screen. The cost-effectiveness of the system is examined by projecting from actual costs and patterns of use. The final chapters bring together the studies in a 'Barrier' framework for understanding the use of a communications system and look forward to the future of electronic journals