Graphical Support for Prototyping of Algebraic Specifications by GVT - Language Description and User's Manual

Graphical support for prototyping of algebraic specifications is provided with suitable concepts to visualize term structures. These concepts are the foundations for the development of the graphical description language G V T (Graphical Visualization of Terms) and the G V T system which allows the visualization of terms over algebraic specifications. Using these concepts, prototyping tools in existing specification systems based on term rewriting and narrowing techniques can be provided with graphical output. Within this report the concepts of the G V T language are introduced as well as the concrete language means. The usage of the system is explained in connection with the ACT environment as underlying specification system. Suplementary, some implementation details are given which may support the adaption of the G V T system to other algebraic specification systems. Technical Report 96 -- 11 Contents 1 Introduction 4 2 Concepts 5 2.1 The Extensible Type System . . . . . . . . ...