A Framework for Run-Time Systems and its Visual Programming Language

Abstract

Frameworks and domain-specific visual languages are two different reuse techniques, the first targeted at expert programmers, the second at domain experts. In fact, these techniques are closely related. This paper shows how to develop a domain-specific visual language by first developing a white-box framework for the domain, then turning it into a black-box framework, and finally building a graphical front end for it. We used this technique in a compiler to specify run-time systems.