rms@ucla-cs.UUCP (03/14/86)
[This article is really from John Pedersen]
It seems that the frustrations students encounter in introductory
computing courses, and the large amounts of time spent by students
in these courses relative to others, might be decreased by two pieces
of software:
1) An intelligent editor, that not only helps students with syntax but
also promotes top-down design/implementation and discourages bad
style. After asking for the author's name, the program purpose etc.,
the user has to type in the main program. The editor chides the user
if it gets too long. When the user is finished, it checks the syntax
and perhaps makes suggestions for improvement and can even foresee
some logical problems (e.g. subscript out of range). It then looks
for constants, variables and procedure/function calls, and puts in
appropriate declarations in cooperation with the user. The editor
automatically builds stubs for each proc/fn (that doesn't already
exist). Then each subprogram body is treated in the same way in turn.
The program can be run after each stage to see that the flow of
control is as expected. The original user input for each block is not
necessarily syntax-directed (the user gets a chance to make
mistakes!)
2) A program tracing facility that shows the lines of source code as
they are being executed (on one part of the screen) while variable
and parameter values are given to the side. This is to help locate
logical errors. Particular variables and/or subprograms can be
isolated. This is different from a symbolic debugger in that the
whole execution of the program can be seen "as it happens."
QUESTION: Do such tools already exist (or something close), specifically
for Pascal under Berkeley Unix (or System V)? I would greatly
appreciate hearing from you (by mail) if you know of or,
better yet, have experience with, such software, or if you
would be interested in using it for classes (if nothing exists
we might write it).
John Pedersen, Dept of Math., Program in Computing, UCLA, L.A. Ca. 90024
(213)825-1917 pic.jfp@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU {ihnp4,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!pic.jfpdick@ucsfcca.UUCP (Dick Karpinski) (03/18/86)
In article <9859@ucla-cs.ARPA> rms@ucla-cs.UUCP writes: >[This article is really from John Pedersen] > >1) An intelligent editor, that not only helps students with syntax but > also promotes top-down design/implementation and discourages bad > >2) A program tracing facility that shows the lines of source code as > they are being executed (on one part of the screen) while variable > >QUESTION: Do such tools already exist (or something close), specifically Doesn't MacPascal approach this? No real help in design, but good flow and variable tracing. Dick -- Dick Karpinski Manager of Unix Services, UCSF Computer Center UUCP: ...!ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.ucsf!dick (415) 476-4529 (12-7) BITNET: dick@ucsfcca Compuserve: 70215,1277 Telemail: RKarpinski USPS: U-76 UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94143
mxp9040@ritcv.UUCP (Michael Pfalzer) (03/22/86)
In article <9859@ucla-cs.ARPA> rms@ucla-cs.UUCP writes: >[This article is really from John Pedersen] > >1) An intelligent editor, that not only helps students with syntax but > also promotes top-down design/implementation and discourages bad > >2) A program tracing facility that shows the lines of source code as > they are being executed (on one part of the screen) while variable > >QUESTION: Do such tools already exist (or something close), specifically I believe at Cornell University, beginning students use an editor that does all of the above. Mike Pfalzer, ritcv!mxp9040