A model for visualization of program conceptual information

Program visualization is helpful in understanding and maintaining very large programs. There are many techniques listed in the literature to visualize programs. Most of these techniques visualize code or data structures used in the programs, but not the concepts nor relationships that exist in the program. In this thesis, a novel model called the Conceptual Crown Visualization (CCV) Model is proposed to visualize the concepts and relationships inherent in programs. The proposed model is part of a larger system called the Advanced Relation Model which takes into consideration binary relationships. These binary relations contain information about the statements in a program. Groups of such relations are formed and new relationships can be formed. Sets of such relations form “concepts”. In order to visualize these concepts, the CCV model comprises two main components: visual primitives and visual interactive Operations. Visual primitives such as line structure, space structure, text, color space and coordinate system are used to represent the relationships and concepts in a program. A relation is mapped to a line structure whereas a concept is mapped to a space structure. Visual interactive operations such as Zoom, Tilt and Spin are used to manipulate the visualized output by the user. A prototype is designed for the conceptual crown model that visualizes relationships. The input for this prototype system is the relational information that corresponds with a given program. The output is a file in UCD format that is recognized by the AVS/Express software. AVS/Express renders the visualization. The CCV model provides the user with necessary information about the concepts that exist in a program