Visualizing object-oriented software

摘要

Object-oriented system methods are automatically instrumented with method hooks that are capable of generating graphical information that can be visualized on a graphical interface. When a method hook is run, it can indicate the occurrence of: an object instance being created, and object instance being destroyed, an method being entered or a method being exited. In the event of one of these occurrences, the method hooks initiate execution of a monitoring function that uses the graphical information and a visualization script with rules to update a visualization shown on the graphical interface. The update will conform with the current state of the object instances visualized. The rules can be changed, to modify the visualization, without recompiling or relinking the application programs. Constraints also can be used by the monitoring function to modify the visualization. <IMAGE>