Run-time visualization of program data

Abstract

An improvement to visualization systems that provides a graphics window into an application displaying program data at run-time through an easy-to-use graphical interface is discussed. With little or no instrumentation of the application the user will be able to dynamically select data for graphical display as the program executes on a remote computer system. The data to be displayed and the type of display to be used are chosen interactively while the application is executing. Any data display can be enabled and disabled at any time; it is not necessary to specify the data or graphics technique before compilation as with conventional graphics tools. An architecture for such a remote visualization system is proposed, and an implementation, called Vista, is described. Designed primarily for scientific visualization, Vista or offers an environment for more effective debugging and program development. >