Automatic data visualization for novice Pascal programmers

Abstract

Presenting the data structures from proams in a gr graphical manner can significantly help programmers understand and debug their programs. The Amethyst system, which runs on Apple Macintosh computers, provides attractive and appropriate default displays for data structures. The default displays include the appropriate forms for literals of the simple types inside type-specific shapes as well as stacked boxes for records and arrays. The authors' visualizations are integrated into an advanced programming environment that is used to teach programming methodology at the introductory level.<>