JPH08314703A - Visual programming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To dynamically generate the substance of a program parts during the execution of a program by changing the corresponding relation between a graphic symbol and the program parts by a program parts corresponding relation rewrite means when a change processing procedure has been defined for the program parts. CONSTITUTION: The method execution order, the relation among data, etc., are interactively defined through the operations of a method execution order designation means 2 and a method argument data reference procedure designation means 3 of a graphic program editing device 1. A method execution means 11 reads the definition information on a program parts out of a program parts store device 5 and carries out a prescribed method. This execution result is outputted to an execution graphic decision means 9. When the change of the program parts corresponding relation is requested, the corresponding relation between a box and the program parts is rewritten by a program parts corresponding relation rewrite means 12. Therefore, the substance of the program parts can be generated during the execution of a program.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a visual programming system, and more particularly to a visual programming system for creating a program for an information processing device by expressing program parts by graphic symbols and defining connection relationships of the program parts by graphical operations. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method for a user who has no knowledge of programming languages to create programs for various information processing apparatuses, conventionally, program parts are represented by graphic symbols, and the connection relationship of the program parts is graphically operated. A visual programming method for creating a program by defining is proposed (for example, Nan C. Shu, "Vis
ual Programming ", Van Nostrand Rheinhold, 1988, etc.) In the conventional visual programming method, the program segmented is displayed as a graphic symbol, and the execution order of program parts and the relationship between data are graphically or interactively manipulated. Is provided, and the program thus defined is stored as a graphic program.

Generally, these program parts are represented by an object composed of some data and some procedures called methods. When the graphic program is executed, the entity of the program component corresponding to the graphic symbol forming the program is generated, and the method of the program component is sequentially executed in the order designated by the program.

[0004]

Therefore, in such a conventional visual programming method, it is necessary that the graphic symbols forming the graphic program and the programming entity generated at the time of execution correspond to each other on a one-to-one basis. Since the correspondence is fixed, it is difficult to dynamically generate the entity of the program part during the execution of the program, or to write a program that includes processing that targets an unspecified number of program parts. there were. The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and to provide a program that dynamically generates the entity of a program part during the execution of the program or includes a process that targets an unspecified number of program parts. It aims to provide a visual programming system that can be described.

[0005]

In order to achieve such an object, the visual programming system according to the present invention includes a plurality of first program parts to which arbitrary program parts are associated.
The graphic program editing device for editing the graphic program by graphically operating the graphic symbols of the above to define the connection relation of each program part, the graphic program storage device for storing the graphic program, and the definition information of the program parts are stored. And a graphic program execution device for executing a graphic program based on the definition information of the program parts. The graphic program editing device is a method execution order designating means for designating the execution order of the method of each program part. And a method argument data reference procedure designating means for designating a processing procedure for deciding an argument value required for executing the method, and a program part rewriting procedure designating a program part change processing procedure corresponding to the first graphic symbol. And a graphics program execution device, A graphic program part correspondence relationship storing means for storing a correspondence relationship between a first graphic symbol in the program and a program part, and an execution graphic deciding means for referring to the graphic program and deciding a first graphic symbol to be executed next. A method for executing a method of a program part selected based on the correspondence as a program part corresponding to the determined first graphic symbol, and storing the execution result in the program part storage device; and a first graphic symbol. And a program part correspondence relationship rewriting means for designating a change processing procedure for changing the correspondence relationship between the program parts and the program parts. Further, the program part correspondence relationship rewriting procedure designating means is provided for each of the first graphic symbols.
The graphic symbol of the second graphic symbol corresponding to the first graphic symbol, which indicates the substance of the program part, is graphically operated to specify the change processing procedure.

[0006]

Therefore, by the method execution order designating means, the method argument data reference procedure designating means, and the program part rewriting procedure designating means of the graphic program editing device,
The execution order of the method of each program part, the value of the argument necessary for executing the method, and the change processing procedure of the program part corresponding to the first graphic symbol are respectively defined, and are determined by the execution graphic determination means of the graphic program execution device. The program component corresponding to the selected first graphic symbol is selected on the basis of the correspondence stored in the graphic program component correspondence storage means, and the method is executed by the method executing means. Further, the correspondence relation between the first graphic symbol and the program component is changed by the program component correspondence relation rewriting means.

[0007]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a visual programming system which is an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a user interface (a screen display unit for displaying graphic symbols and a graphic operation input unit such as a mouse) (not shown). And a graphic program editing device for editing a graphic program by operating graphic symbols representing a plurality of program parts to define the relationship between the program parts. A program component storage device for storing definition information, a graphic program storage device 6 for storing a graphic program, and a graphic program execution device 7 for executing a graphic program based on the definition information of the program component.

In the graphic program editing apparatus 1, 2 is a method execution order designating means for designating the execution order of the method of the program component, and 3 is a processing procedure for determining the value of the argument required for the execution of the method of the program component. The method argument data reference procedure designating means 4 is a program part rewriting procedure designating means for designating a change processing procedure of a program part corresponding to a figure. It is designated.

Further, in the graphic program execution device 7, 8 is a graphic program part correspondence storing means for storing the correspondence between the graphic symbols and the program parts, and 9 is a reference to the graphic program to decide the graphic symbol to be executed next. Execution figure determining means for executing, 10 is an execution program component determining means for determining a program component corresponding to the determined graphic symbol, 11 executes a method of the determined program component, and stores the execution result in the program component storage device 5. Reference numeral 12 denotes a program component correspondence rewriting means for changing the correspondence between the graphic symbols and the program components.

Next, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the operation of the present invention for editing a graphic program will be described. First, the user executes the method by operating the method execution order designating unit 2, the method argument data reference procedure designating unit 3, and the program component correspondence rewriting procedure designating unit 4 of the graphic program editing apparatus 1 as necessary. Interactively define the sequence, the relationship between data, and the process of changing program parts for graphic symbols.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the method execution order designating means 2, (a) is a screen output example in which various items required for editing are displayed as graphic symbols, (b).
Indicates connection information corresponding to the screen output example. In FIG. 2, 100 is a box (first graphic symbol) indicating a program component having a method called “method M1” belonging to the component type “class C1”, and 101 is a self (self :) provided corresponding to the box 100. Second graphic symbol), 102 and 103 are input and output ports of the self 101, 111 and 112 are input and output ports of "method M1", and 121 and 122 are "method M".
Argument required to execute "1", 131,1
32 is an input port of each argument 121 and 122, 123 is a return value (return) of the “method M1”, and 133 is an output port of the return value 123.

Reference numeral 200 is a box (first graphic symbol) indicating a program component having a method called "method M2" belonging to the component type "class C2", and 201 is a self (self: first) symbol provided corresponding to the box 200. Two
(Figure symbol), 202 and 203 are input and output ports of the self 201, and 211 and 212 are “method M
2 ”input and output ports, 221“ Method M
Arguments (arg) necessary to execute "2" are 231 are input ports of the argument 221, 222 are return values (return) of "method M2", and 232 are output ports of the return value 222. Reference numeral 301 is a control line indicating the execution order.

The input ports 111 and 211 of each "method M1" and "method M2" correspond to the start of execution of the respective method and output ports 112 and 2
12 corresponds to the end of execution, and a control line (indicated by a solid line in the figure) is drawn between the input and output ports to define the execution order of the methods. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the control line 301 connects the output port 112 of the “method M1” of the box 100 to the input port 211 of the “method M2” of the box 200, After the execution of the "method M1" is completed, the execution of the "method M2" is defined.

In this way, the method execution order designating means 2 carries out a graphic operation for designating the method execution order, and is recognized as connection information as shown in FIG. 2 (b). Here, as a connection relationship corresponding to the control line 301, the connection source is “method M” of the box 100.
1 ”is set, and the“ method M2 ”of the box 200 is set as the connection destination and stored in the graphic program storage device 6 as a part of the graphic program.

FIG. 3 is a method argument data reference designating means 3
FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of FIG.
(B) shows the connection information. In FIG. 3, the same portions as those in FIG. 2 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and 302 is a data line indicating data reference (delivery). The output port 133 corresponds to the reference of the return value 123 which is the execution result of the “method M1”, and the input port 23
1 corresponds to the input of the argument 221 necessary for executing the “method M2”, and the output port of the return value and the input port of the argument are connected by the data line (indicated by the broken line in the figure), Data reference procedures are defined.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the output port 133 of the return value 123 of the “method M1” of the box 100 and the input port of the argument 221 of the “method M2” of the box 200 are connected by the data line 302. In the case of being connected to 231, the return value 123 of the “method M1” is referred to as the argument 221 of the “method M2”. In this way, the method argument data reference procedure designating means 3 performs a graphic operation for designating the data reference procedure and manages it as connection information as shown in FIG.

Here, as a connection relationship corresponding to the data line 302, the connection source is the “method M” of the box 100.
The return value 123 of “1” is set, and the argument 221 of “method M2” of the box 200 is set in the connection destination and stored in the graphic program storage device 6 as a part of the graphic program. Therefore, when the graphic program is executed, based on the execution order defined by the control line 301, after the execution of the “method M1” of the box 100 is completed, the execution of the “method M2” of the box 200 is started and the “method M2” is started. The return value 123 of the “method M1” is used as the argument 221 necessary for executing “M2”.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the program parts correspondence relation rewriting procedure designating means 4, where (a) shows an example of screen output and (b) shows connection information. In FIG. 4, the same parts as those in FIG.
Is a control line, and 304 is a data line indicating data reference. Each self 101, 201 indicates a procedural process for rewriting the correspondence between the respective boxes 100, 200 and program parts, and is a graphic symbol (second graphic symbol) at the same level as a method for executing various processes. .

Further, the input ports 102 and 202 provided in the self 101 and 201 correspond to the start of execution of the correspondence rewriting procedure processing and the argument setting necessary for execution, and the output ports 103 and 203 correspond to the correspondence rewriting procedure. When the execution of the processing is completed and the correspondence relation rewriting procedure processing is performed,
This corresponds to the reference of the identification information indicating the program component associated with 200.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the output port 133 of the return value 123 of the “method M1” of the box 100 is connected to the input port 202 of the self 201 of the box 200 by the data line 304. In this case, the substance of the program component executed in the box 200 is defined to be changed based on the program component identification information output as the return value of the “method M1” of the box 100. Further, the control line 303 causes the output port 112 of the “method M1” of the box 100 to cause the change process to be executed.
Since it is connected to the input port 202 of the self 201 of 0, it is defined as after completion of execution of the “method M1”.

In this manner, the program part correspondence rewriting procedure designating means 4 performs a graphic operation for designating a procedure for rewriting the correspondence of the program parts, and FIG.
It is managed as connection information as shown in (b). Here, as the connection relationship corresponding to the control line 303,
The “method M1” of the box 100 is set to the connection source, the self 201 of the box 200 is set to the connection destination, and the “method M1” of the box 100 is returned to the connection source as the connection relationship corresponding to the data line 304. The value 123 is set, the self 201 of the box 200 is set as the connection destination, and the self is stored in the graphic program storage device 6 as a part of the graphic program.

Therefore, at the time of executing the graphic program, after the execution of the "method M1" in the box 100 is completed,
The substance of the program part corresponding to the box 200 is changed and set. In addition, the program part is "Method M
Based on the return value of "1", it is arbitrarily selected from among a plurality of program parts belonging to the part type "class C2".
It is possible to edit a graphic program that selects and executes an arbitrary part of an unspecified number of program parts according to the execution result.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing another operation of the program parts correspondence relation rewriting procedure designating means 4, where (a) shows an example of screen output and (b) shows connection information. In FIG. 5, the same parts as those in FIGS. 2 and 4 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and 305 is a data line indicating data reference. The output port 103 of the self 101 corresponds to the reference of the program component associated with the box 100.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the output port 103 of the self 101 of the box 100 is connected to the input port 202 of the self 201 of the box 200 by the data line 305, the box 100 is It is defined that the entity of the program component executed in the box 200 is changed based on the identification information indicating the program component associated with the. Further, the trigger for executing this change processing is the “method M1” of the box 100 by the control line 303, as in the case of FIG. 4 described above.
The output port 112 of the
Since it is connected to the input port 202 of “method M1”, it is defined immediately after the execution of “method M1”.

In this way, the graphical operation for designating the procedure for rewriting the correspondence of the program parts is performed by the program parts correspondence rewriting procedure designating means 4, and FIG.
It is managed as connection information as shown in (b). Here, as the connection relationship corresponding to the control line 303,
The “method M1” of the box 100 is set as the connection source, the self 201 of the box 200 is set as the connection destination, and the self 101 of the box 100 is set as the connection relationship corresponding to the data line 305. The self 201 of the box 200 is set as the connection destination and stored in the graphic program storage device 6 as a part of the graphic program.

Therefore, at the time of executing the graphic program, after the execution of the "method M1" in the box 100 is completed,
The substance of the program part corresponding to the box 200 is changed and set. Further, in the program component, the substance of the program component belonging to the component type “class C1” associated with the box 100 is the component type “class C”.
It will be changed and set as a program part belonging to "2", which makes it possible to edit a figure program that dynamically generates the entity of the program part according to the execution result during the execution of the figure program. Become.

Further, graphic symbols indicating the procedure processing for rewriting the correspondence between the respective boxes 100, 200 and program parts are provided corresponding to the respective boxes 100, 200, and these self 101, 201 are provided. Since the start and end of execution of correspondence rewriting procedure processing and the input and reference of identification information indicating program parts are defined by graphical operations, it is possible to define the execution order and method for methods without requiring special operations. It is possible to specify the change processing procedure of the program component by the same operation as when determining the argument.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, the operation of the present invention for executing the graphic program will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the graphic program execution device 7. First, depending on when the execution starts
The graphic program stored in the graphic program storage device 6 (see FIG. 1) is read (step 51), the correspondence between the boxes and the program parts is created based on the graphic program, and the graphic program correspondence storage unit 8 is created. Store (step 52).

As shown in FIG. 7, for example, this correspondence is made up of each box, a corresponding component entity indicating the component type corresponding to this box and the actual program component. Next, the execution figure determining means 9 selects and determines the box to be executed (step 53). Here, the predetermined box is determined based on, for example, an event that has occurred in response to a user operation or external input, or an execution order defined in the graphic program.

Here, it is determined whether or not the selected and selected box is a method (step 54), and if it is a method (step 54: YES), the execution program component determining means 10 causes the program corresponding to the box. The parts are determined (step 56). In this case, the program parts are determined based on the correspondence between the boxes and the program parts stored in advance in the graphic program part correspondence storage unit 8.

In response to this, the method executing means 11 reads the definition information of the program component from the program component storing device 5 to execute a predetermined method, and the result is output to the execution figure determining means 9 ( Step 5
7). Subsequently, the end of the graphic program is judged (step 58), and when it is not the end of the graphic program (step 58: NO), the process returns to the aforementioned step 53, and the box to be executed next is determined. Then, the series of processes ends the graphic program (step 58: Y).
It is repeated until ES).

If the box determined by the execution figure determining means 9 in the above step 54 indicates not the method but the procedure for changing the program component correspondence,
For example, in the connection relationship defined by the control lines as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the connection destination indicates the self of the box (step 54: NO), the program component correspondence rewriting means 12 causes The correspondence between the box (see FIG. 7) and the program component (corresponding component entity) is rewritten (step 55).

In this case, from the connection relationship defined by the data line input to the self, for example, the identification information of the program component indicated by the return value of the method executed immediately before or the box executed immediately before is associated. A new program component is determined based on the attached program component identification information and the like and is rewritten as the corresponding component entity (see FIG. 7) corresponding to the target box. The method in the newly associated program component is executed in response to the box execution request in the subsequent execution order.

In this way, when it is requested to change the program part correspondence in the graphic program,
Since the correspondence relation between the box and the program component is rewritten by the program component correspondence rewriting means 12, it becomes possible to dynamically generate and execute the substance of the program component during the execution of the graphic program, and the unspecified number It is possible to selectively execute any program component among the program components. In the above explanation, the method execution order of each program part, the argument values required to execute the method, and the program part change processing procedure corresponding to the box are described by the graphical operation of drawing a control line or a data line. Although the case where the definition is defined has been described, any graphic operation may be performed as long as it is an operation that defines the connection relationship between various graphic symbols.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, the graphic program editing apparatus is provided with the program part rewriting procedure designating means, and the change processing procedure of the program part corresponding to the first graphic symbol is defined. When the execution device is provided with a program part correspondence rewriting means, and the program part change processing procedure is defined in the graphic program being executed, the program part correspondence rewriting means makes the first graphic symbol and the program part. Since the correspondence relation with is changed, it is possible to dynamically generate the actual entity of the program part during the execution of the program, or to write a program that includes processing that targets an unspecified number of program parts. It will be possible.

As a program part correspondence rewriting procedure designating means, a second graphic symbol provided for each first graphic symbol and showing the substance of the program part corresponding to the first graphic symbol is graphically operated. By doing so, the change processing procedure of program parts and related processing procedures are specified, so program parts can be changed with the same operation as when deciding the execution order and arguments of methods without requiring special operations. It is possible to specify the processing procedure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a visual programming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of a method execution order designating unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of a method argument data reference procedure specifying unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of a program part correspondence relationship rewriting procedure designating means.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another operation of the program part correspondence relationship rewriting procedure designating means.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the graphic program execution device.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a correspondence relationship between boxes and program components.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Graphic program editing device, 2 ... Method execution order designation means, 3 ... Method argument data reference procedure designation means, 4
... program component correspondence rewriting procedure designating means, 5 ... program component storage device, 6 ... graphic program storage device, 7
... graphic program execution device, 8 ... graphic program correspondence storage means, 9 ... execution graphic determination means, 10 ... execution program component determination means, 11 ... method execution means, 12 ... program component correspondence rewriting means, 100, 200 ... box (First graphic symbol), 101, 201 ... Self (second graphic means), 301, 303 ... Control line, 302, 304, 305 ... Data line.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A visual programming system for creating a program by graphically operating a graphic symbol indicating a program part to define a connection relation of each program part, wherein a plurality of first program parts are associated with arbitrary program parts. The graphic program editing device for editing the graphic program by graphically operating the graphic symbol 1 to define the connection relation of each program component, the graphic program storage device for storing the graphic program, and the definition information of the program component It is equipped with a program parts storage device for storing and a graphics program execution device for executing a graphics program based on the definition information of the program parts. The graphics program editing device specifies a method execution order for specifying the execution order of the methods of each program part. Means and necessary to execute the method The method includes a method argument data reference procedure designating means for designating a processing procedure for determining the value of the number, and a program component rewriting procedure designating means for designating a modification processing procedure of the program component corresponding to the first graphic symbol. The execution device refers to the graphic program part correspondence storage means for storing the correspondence between the first graphic symbol in the graphic program and the program part, and determines the first graphic symbol to be executed next by referring to the graphic program. An execution figure determining means, and a method executing means for executing a method of a program part selected based on the correspondence as a program part corresponding to the determined first figure symbol and storing an execution result in a program part storage device. , Specify a change processing procedure for changing the correspondence between the first graphic symbol and the program part A visual programming system comprising: a program parts correspondence rewriting means. 2. The visual programming system according to claim 1, wherein the program part correspondence relation rewriting procedure designating means is a second graphic symbol provided for each first graphic symbol, and the first graphic symbol. The visual programming system is characterized in that the change processing procedure is designated by graphically operating a second graphic symbol showing the substance of the program part corresponding to.