An Incremental Programming Environment

Abstract

This document describes an Incremental Programming Environment (IPE) based on compilation technology, but providing facilities traditionally found only in interpretive systems. IPE provides a comfortable environment for a single programmer working on a single program. In IPE the programmer has a uniform view of the program in terms of the programming language. The program is manipulated through a syntax-directed editor and its execution is controlled by a debugging facility, which is integrated with the editor. Other tools of the traditional tools cycle (translator, linker, loader) are applied automatically and are not visible to the programmer. The only interface to the programmer is the user interface of the editor.