DIVINE: An Immersive 3D Debugging Information Visualization System Using Metaphor

Abstract

除錯器是現今程式發展整合環境中的標準部分，典型的除錯流程包括設定中斷點，逐步執行，觀察變數值等等。大部分的除錯器還包括圖形使用者介面可以讓使用者利用滑鼠呼叫一些基本的功能。但是程式設計師仍必須從一堆文字型態的資料中找出有意義的資訊，並將抽象的概念具體化來模擬程式的運作，進而發覺程式可能發生錯誤的地方。而這些事情即使對於一個很有程式設計經驗的老手而言也不是一件簡單的事情。何況程式的規模和複雜度日漸增加，除錯的問題也將越來越棘手，所以除錯工具必須提供更有效的協助給程式設計師。 過去，我們實做了一個名為DIVINE的視覺化除錯工具，它將一個名為HILCADT的除錯器所得到的除錯資訊予以視覺化，使得這些資訊可以在3D空間中呈現，讓程式設計師可以透過它輕易的看出程式中變數的內容及資料結構。但是先前的DIVINE雖然達到了3D空間展示資訊的目標，但是它始終只有一種表示資料的方法。於是我們這次加強了DIVINE的功能，導入了metaphor的概念，讓使用者可以隨時切換展示資料的方法，也提供了更強大更人性化的互動設計，這些改變都能更進一步幫助使用者了解被除錯程式複雜的資料結構。

Developing efficient, bug free software is much more difficult than before because the complexity of software has grown significantly than before. We need some tools such as debuggers to help developers correct the program errors. Nevertheless, debugging a complex program is not easy. Programmers need to gather enough information of program states which are formed by variable values, data structures, to pinpoint the causes of program errors and then fix them. DIVINE [17] is a 3D debugging visualization tool we are developing. In the past, it provides a visualization of linked-list data structure in 3D environment and interactions to manipulate the elements in the linked-list. The visualization system DIVINE communicates with HILCADT [11], a debugger for Java language. In this thesis, we enhance DIVINE by supporting the concept of metaphors and support more human natural interactions between users and the system. Metaphor is a way of presenting a set of data. If the information can be displayed in only one way it may not be adequate for users to understand complicated data structure. It is much more helpful if programmers can visualize the debugging information using appropriate metaphors with well-designed, useful interactions. The goal of this thesis is to study and implement the 3D metaphors of data structures in computer programs.