DiaGen: A Generator for Diagram Editors Based on a Hypergraph Model.
Gerhard Viehstaedt, Mark Minas · 1995
Diagrams (e.g., trees for hierarchical structures, or graphs for finite state machines) are often needed as part of advanced user interfaces, and are frequently specific to a user's application. The implementation of editors for diagrams should be supported by a tool and based on a formal model. This paper gives an overview of DiaGen, our generator for diagram editors. An editor for a certain kind of diagrams is generated from a specification, which includes a hypergraph grammar to describe the structure of diagrams. The user of a diagram editor does not have to be concerned with the grammar, but can manipulate diagrams very conveniently by direct manipulation. 1 Introduction An easily comprehensible representation of complex structures is gaining importance for the users of information systems or CASE tools. A significant and increasing share of the effort for implementing these systems goes into the user interface. Common interface builders for Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) main...