VISUALIZATION OF OBJECT-ORIENTED (JAVA) PROGRAMS

Abstract

We provide an explicit, consistent, execution model for OO programs, specifically Java, together with a tool that visualizes the model This equips the student with a model to think and communicate about OO programs. Especially for an e-learning situation this is significant. Firstly, such a model supports the interaction with teachers and provides a sound basis for the understanding of other e-learning material concerning programming. Secondly, the tool supports acquiring proficiency with the model in an e-learning setting by giving precise information to hone his/her conceptualization of program execution. The model is advanced in that it accommodates multi-threading. The tool is flexible in that it directly uses the Java Virtual Machine for the visualization: extensions and adaptations can thus make use of the information the actual execution provides. A case in point is modeling the execution of code involving user interaction through the Graphic User Interface library. We consider several options here. Keywords: Object-oriented programming; Program visualization