Semiformal Visual Languages, Visual Programming at a Higher Level of Abstraction

摘要

This paper intends to focus on the visual programming aspects of a courseware development environment and discusses which concepts can find a more general applicability for visual programming in other domains. To achieve this, we first introduce the concept of semi-formal visual language, on which our environment is based; we then analyze the differences and similarities between courseware and other kinds of software, then describe our tools and methodology, then see how they can be used in a broader scope, and finally explain how they can be enriched to broaden their applicability. The computer-based development environment described in this paper is now operational and we will try to draw more general conclusions from this experience in regard to the use of semiformal visual languages, i.e. a combination of a visual representation of software and natural language.