A-Vu: a visualization tool for complex software systems

The basic concepts underlying the A-Vu utility are presented. A-Vu is a general purpose tool for visualizing the structural aspects of complex software designs. Starting from a directed graph representation of a system or an Ada program library, A-Vu develops a variety of 'nice' graphs that reveal different visual representations of a design. A-Vu determins the method of visual expression, organizes the diagram in terms of desirable perceptual properties, and establishes an aesthetic layout. Formally, given a directed graph G=(V,E), A-Vu searches for a configuration C such that a suitably defined 'energy' function J(C) is minimized. The definition of J(C) includes software engineering considerations such as layering and modularity, as well as aesthetic considerations like visual appeal, cognitive correctness, and so on. This function is used in conjunction with simulated annealing and genetic algorithm techniques to obtain the 'minimum energy' configurations.<>