Interaction-based simulation

Abstract

This thesis presents a technique for producing visual simulations—programs that visualize the execution or behavior of time-varying scenes—from software interactions, first-class structures that moderate the flow of information among software components. The building of programs with software interactions gives rise to Interaction-Based Programming (IBP), a programming methodology that separates the concerns of computation from coordination. Software components compute independently, while software interactions coordinate communications. The integration of IBP with the methods of computer simulation produce Interaction-Based Simulation (IBS), an approach to visual simulation that binds the execution of software interactions to the advancement of time. As time advances, software interactions control the flow of information among components and the dissemination of temporal information. The utility of IBS is presented in two ways: one, through a logical description of the effect of software interactions on software development and systems created using the approach; and two, through empirical evidence demonstrating the ability of IBS to produce a wide variety of programs that encourage the reuse of software.