SELF-EXPLANATORY COMPONENTS: A NEW PROGRAMMING PARADIGM

Abstract

A new multimedia programming paradigm is presented. It is based on a system of micro- and macro-icons (composite pictures) representing self-explanatory software components in a "film" format. A film is a series of color stills supported, if necessary, by text and sound. Each still is to represent a view of objects or processes. Each film is to represent a multiple view (an extended set of dynamic and/or static features) of objects or processes. A self-explanatory film means that the associated stills are organized and presented in such a way that the semantic richness of a computational scheme is clearly brought out. Icons and films are acquired in a net-accessible database. The user should not study them in advance. The film management system provides simple access to database items and modes to manipulate films. In this paper we explain where the database items are taken from and how the self-explanatory features of items are reached. We also describe how these items can be used for multimedia representation of methods and data and for programming users' algorithmic ideas. In addition, some technical details related to the film management system, rendering engines used for displaying various features of the software components, and the icon language are presented. Special attention is paid to how computational formulas can be attached to a film.