Development of XML-based tools to support user interaction with algorithm visualization

  • Authors:

  • Thomas Naps;Guido Rößling;Peter Brusilovsky;John English;Duane Jarc;Ville Karavirta;Charles Leska;Myles McNally;Andrés Moreno;Rockford J. Ross;Jaime Urquiza-Fuentes

  • Affiliations:

  • U Wisconsin Oshkosh;TU Darmstadt, Germany;University of Pittsburgh;University of Brighton, UK;University of Maryland, University College;Helsinki University of Technology, Finland;Randolph-Macon College;Alma College;University of Joensuu, Finland;Montana State University;Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain

  • Venue:
  • ACM SIGCSE Bulletin
  • Year:
  • 2005

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Abstract

As a report of a working group at ITiCSE 2005, this paper represents a vision of the use of XML specifications and tools in algorithm visualization, particularly with regard to supporting user interaction. A detailed description is given of how an interesting event to be visualized is decomposed, combined with interactive questions, narratives, control flow code and metadata, and finally rendered into graphical primitive and transformation specifications. The heart of the paper is our discussion of XML specifications for content generation (the object being visualized), interactive questions, and graphical primitives and transformations, with briefer discussions of narratives and metadata. Examples are provided for each in an appendix, with fuller details to be published on an associated website that we hope will become a source of future standards in this area. In conclusion, the approach of the working group is discussed, and important remaining challenges are identified.