A Graphical Editor for OSU v3.0
Fangchen Lin, Theodore Gyle Lewis, Timothy A. Budd · 1992
Development of a graphical user interface (GUI) applications is difficult since the process can be both complicated and tedious. We propose a solution directed at reducing programming time and effort required to build a GUI application. Our solution is based on the Petri Network, the Oregon Speedcode Universe (OSU) Application Framework, and the OSU Browser (v 3.0). A Petri Network is a visual programming language which is used to represent the sequencing of objects and messages. The Application Framework provides reusable components in the form of objects. The Browser provides a visual way to examine a system in search of reusable components. A Petri Net editor was constructed which encorporates a code generator and browser. This editor uses direct-manipulation to simplify coding tasks, accepting specifications from the developer and generating the internal representations of the Petri Net. The internal representation is input to the Code Generator, thus generating an OSU Application Framework-based C++ program as output. Using the Petri Net editor to generate four application programs; 1) drawing program, 2) a help system, 3) a calculator, and 4) a record query system, it is estimated that programming time has been reduced by 90% and programming effort has been reduced by 79%.