Application Program Development Research Articles

A discipline of multiprogramming

The main software challenge in developing application programs during the 1960s and the 1970s was that the programs had to operate within limited resources, i.e., slow processors, small memories, and limited disk capacities. Application programming became far more widespread during the 1980s because of the falling prices of hardware (which meant that more processing power and storage were available for the same cost) and a better understanding of the application programming process. However, most applications still ran on mainframes or over a cluster of machines in a local-area network; truly distributed applications that ran over wide-area networks were few because of the latency and bandwidth limitations of long-haul communication. The 1990s saw great strides in broad-band communication, and the World Wide Web provides a giant repository of information. This combination promises development of a new generation of distributed applications, ranging from mundane office tasks —e.g., planning a meeting by reading the calendars of the participants— to real-time distributed control and coordination of hundreds of machines —e.g., as would be required in a recovery effort from an earthquake.

Using Computer Technology to Enhance Learning: Compensation in the Real World

Abstract The paucity of computer software applications on the market that deal with compensation systems prompted the development of a computer application program that incorporated all important aspects of the design and implementation of a compensation system for a realistic organization. The objective of the compensation decision support analysis software program was to improve students' understanding of the processes and decisions necessary to develop a comprehensive compensation plan. By using this program, students increase their knowledge and understanding of compensation and are able to more readily translate and apply that knowledge to the real world.

248. 水ファントムシステムを用いたQC(第3報) : データ解析、整理用プログラムの開発

248. 水ファントムシステムを用いたQC(第3報) : データ解析、整理用プログラムの開発

A distributed computing model for telemetry data processing

We present a new approach to distributing processed telemetry data among spacecraft flight controllers within the Control Centers at NASA's Johnson Space Center. This approach facilitates the development of application programs that integrate spacecraft-telemetered data and ground-based synthesized data, then distribute this information to flight controllers for analysis and decision-making. The new approach combines various distributed computing models into one hybrid distributed computing model. This model employs both client-server and peer-to-peer distributed computing models cooperating to provide users with information throughout a diverse operations environment. Specifically, it provides an attractive foundation upon which we are building critical real-time monitoring and control applications, while simultaneously lending itself to peripheral applications in playback operations, mission preparations, flight controller training, and program development and verification. We have realized the hybrid distributed computing model through an information sharing protocol. The motivations that inspired the creation of this protocol are described, along with a brief conceptual description of the distributed computing models it employs. The protocol design is described in more detail, discussing many of the program design considerations and techniques adopted. This model is especially suitable for supporting the implementation of distributed expert system applications.

A distributed development environment for embedded software

AbstractThe HAGAR project is building a high‐performance disk controller. It is an embedded system for which many hundreds of thousands of lines of embedded software will have to be developed concurrently with the development of the hardware. We found existing methods for embedded software development, such as simulation and remote cross development, to be inadequate for us. To meet our special needs, we developed a distributed development environment that combines and extends the capabilities of existing methods while fixing their drawbacks.Our environment is based on a processor‐pool architecture, in which multiple hardware sets are pooled and managed systematically. It supports embedded software development for many programmers at different sites. It allows for the emulation of non‐existing hardware adaptor cards and for the integration of embedded software testing with hardware simulation. The environment provides a single system image, hiding many hardware and configuration details from its users. From the perspective of the programmers, our environment makes developing embedded software for special hardware systems as easy as developing application programs for a UNIX workstation.

A one‐year acoustics laboratory course at UCSD

The University of California, San Diego offers a one‐year acoustics laboratory course to both undergraduate and graduate students. The lab is structured to parallel a graduate level theoretical acoustics class taught jointly by the electrical and computer engineering department, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The acoustics laboratory course examines fundamental principles of acoustics with emphasis on oceanographic applications. Also stressed are methods for handling random data and the professional reporting of results. A GPIB bus computer is used to control laboratory instrumentation, and students develop application programs for each experiment. The course is divided into 17 separate experiments. The first quarter is devoted to the measurement of mechanical impedance and resonance in a spring‐mass system, velocity and dispersion in strings and bars, and normal modes in a bar. The second quarter examines the calibration of transducers, including self‐reciprocity and beam‐pattern measurements, reflection and transmission in multiple media, sound‐speed dependence on salinity, and normal modes in a channel. The third quarter emphasizes the treatment of random data including: Power measurements of band‐limited white noise, scattering of sound from surfaces of varying roughness, and detection threshold experiments.

A distribution engineering workstation for undergraduate and graduate education

The Distribution Analysis and Economic Evaluation Workstation (DANE) provides students with an open architecture, computer aided engineering workstation environment for distribution system application program development and engineering studies. DANE is conceptually divided into four parts which are a relational database, graphical user interface, an application programmer interface, and applications used for analysis, design, and operational studies. Existing code has been developed with the help of several MS and PhD students. The code consists of C language with Embedded Structure Query Language statements, DANE is used in undergraduate design projects and graduate research.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

UNIX for microcomputers: an alternative to better management of microcomputer resources and higher productivity

From laptops to supercomputers, UNIX 1 1 UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. is leading the way to better management of resources and higher productivity, particularly in multiuser systems and open multivendor computing environments. The UNIX philosophy which is responsible, in part, for this success is captured in the phrase ‘small is beautiful’, which refers to the concept of providing a set of small, well-defined utilities which can be easily combined to develop application programs and solve computation problems. In this paper, we provide a brief introduction to the UNIX operating system and present a short history of operating systems for the PCs and describe the central role that operating systems play in providing a user-friendly environment for the users. We then compare the UNIX and DOS operating systems and argue that UNIX in many ways is superior to DOS. The advantages of UNIX over DOS are enumerated. The potential disadvantages of UNIX are discussed. The road ahead for personal computing and UNIX-based microcomputers is briefly discussed. The paper concludes by suggesting that microcomputer users should strongly consider using UNIX as an alternative to DOS.

Parallel computing in the 1990's: Attacking the software problem

It is today's general wisdom that the productive use of parallel architectures depends crucially on the availability of powerful development tools and run-time environments. In this paper, we systematically discuss the fundamental software problems encountered in programming parallel architectures, in particular those with distributed resources. All these problems need to be solved, if efficient and convenient use of parallel machines is to be guaranteed. We present a five phases model of parallel application program development, which describes the required efforts in parallel programming by means of four transformation steps: problem analysis, algorithmdesign, implementation, and mapping. The major part of the paper is dedicated to the description of three research projects which focus on the last three transformation steps: SKELETON, a tool for providing improved algorithmic support for the application-oriented programmer, SPADE, an integrated development and run-time environment, and MARC, a tool for automatic mapping of parallel programs.

Closing the Generation Gap

Power system engineers have been using computers ever since the first generation computers (so named much later) came into existence. Automatic power system computations have been reported as early as 1947 [1]. According to recent statistics, the power industry is the third largest user of computers in the U.S.A. The explosive developments during the last decade have required the power engineer to be much more computer-literate and the power engineering curriculum has undergone drastic revisions to accommodate this requirement. Recent software concepts recommend a move towards using fourth generation languages for large application program development. Utilizing a fourth generation language can result in applications built in a fraction of the time with a fraction of the expenditure as compared to using third generation languages. The present day power student is going to face challenges of much greater magnitudes when he joins the power industry and the time is ripe for the introduction of fourth generation languages (4GL) and 'closing' the generation gap. Many salient features of 4GLs that make them useful as effective tools for presenting power system problems to the students are first described. The beneficial aspects of getting exposed to these new trends in software development are illustrated through a distribution analysis program being developed at the Tennessee Technological University. Specific examples of database application, line impedance calculation and very flexible load modeling are included.

A communications interface for systems application architecture

The requirements for program-to-program communication that prompted the creation of the communications interface for IBM's Systems Application Architecture (SAA), the considerations that went into the design of its function, and the basic concepts of the interface are discussed. An example of two programs using the Communications Interface is also included. The authors conclude that the evolving SAA Common Programming Interface and the Communications Interface within it provide a programming environment of languages and services for development of application programs that span systems.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Design of multiple input/output modal analysis instrumentation

A flexible measurement system has been developed to implement recently developed experimental dynamic analysis techniques. The system consists of a modular front-end and a mini- or microcomputer. Several modules for automated signal conditioning and data acquisition as well as for programmable signal generation are available. A software interface package simplifies the development of application programs. The system is compatible with existing signal and system analysis software.

Data flow processor chip for image processing

An Image Pipelined Processor (ImPP) with high-speed processing capability has been developed utilizing a data-flow architecture strongly emphasizing pipeline processing technique. Moreover, a ring-shaped ImPP array forms a multiprocessor system by itself for higher processing performance. Pipeline processing is especially suitable for operations on streams (sequences of data). Most image processing includes these operations. The ImPP is composed of ten pipeline modules. These are connected with each other in pipeline manner, that is, a one-directional bus is mainly used between two modules for transmitting a token composed of data value and several control signals. All modules can be individually designed in parallel only with the token information. This hierarchical design approach contributes to easier chip development by using CAD systems. The ImPP is a 6.96 mm × 6.99 mm single die, containing over 115 000 transistors with advanced 1.75-µm NMOS technology, as one data-flow processor chip. It operates at 10-MHz clock rate and takes 200 ns for each pipeline stage. To make the application program development convenient, an ImPP assembler has also been developed. Using this assembler, several image processing programs have been prepared and simulated. The ImPP architecture and its processing capability are discussed based on this simulation result.

A study of application program development techniques

A survey of application development techniques in 43 organizations identifies the methods and tools found most effective in application software development.

Factors affecting programmer productivity during application development

The effects of good computer services on programmer and project productivity during application program development are examined. Programmers' terminal activity and the nature of terminal work are analyzed. The discussion includes the effects of short response times, programmers' skills, and program complexity on productivity.

GRASP—A 3D graphics system for Pascal users

This paper describes a 3D graphics package ‘GRASP’ implemented in Pascal language and interfaced with the Pascal compiler developed for the DEC PDP-10 machine, by Urs Amman et al. GRASP supports storage tube and raster scan graphics terminals and pen plotters. The package is incorporated as a set of standard procedures into the enhanced Pascal compiler. The various features of the package are presented here and a comparison is made vis-a-vis the other existing 3D graphics packages. GRASP is simple to use and provides a valuable tool for the development of application programs written in Pascal and requiring a graphics capability.

The role and reality of graphics standards (Panel)

Graphics standards are formally sanctioned guidelines for graphics programming. Just as ANSI standards provide FORTRAN programmers with a common ground among compilers, the role of graphics standards is to define a set of common procedures or subroutines for developing graphics applications. The primary objectives underlying graphics standards are program portability and a common methodology for application program development. Graphic standards are clearly desirable and efforts to bring them about are well underway. Nevertheless, the role of graphics standards must be matched with the reality of software development environments. A common problem faced by all standards committees is the very long lead time required to arrive at consensus. Most standards groups are staffed by volunteers, chartered to develop standards models around generally-accepted current professional practices. Often, this is a time-consuming process relying on compromise and diplomacy and hampered by long intervals between meetings. As a result, standards inevitably lag behind the industry, where competitive hardware vendors play leapfrog with one another, pushing the state of the art. Much of the concern surrounding standards implementations stems from the low level of standards literacy in the graphics user community. Beyond a vague understanding of functionality, most graphics software shoppers have little understanding on the different levels of standards, how to measure a good implementation, and methods of programming efficiently using a graphics standards methodology. As a result, standards-based packages face the difficult challenge of balancing the theoretical world of standards with the down to-earth needs of application developers working against deadlines. This session will measure the several standards proposals now in the ANSI pipeline against the requirements and literacy level of the buying public. The evolution of a standard through ANSI and the implications of certification procedures will be presented and discussed. The problems of implementing a graphics standard will also be discussed, along with the general buying criteria to follow when shopping for standards-based graphics software.

Writing and Compiling Computer user Documentation in a Text Processing Environment

This article emphasizes the growing need for good technical communication in application program development, and relates the usability of program documentation to the productivity of computer systems. It describes in detail the process involved and the human thinking that must accompany the generation of high quality computer user documentation. The methodology described in this paper has been exercised by the author on two major interactive IBM application programs. However, the methodology should not be interpreted as an IBM discipline, and views expressed in this paper are those of the author.

Interactive Computer Graphics Applied to Chemistry: Experiences and New Developments

AbstractThis paper is essentially a progress report on three years of effort in computer graphics applied to chemistry. The major technical and human problems encountered when running our facility and integrating it into a chemistry department are described. Then progress of our research project, which is developing application programs in several areas of computer graphics applied to chemical education and research, is reviewed. Recent developments in the field of the representation of dynamic processes in molecules and illustrating some basic concepts of reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry are presented, and the important role of graphics in depicting adequately 3D reaction paths is stressed. Finally, some technical problems arising when using the calligraphic system as an audio‐visual tool for teaching chemistry are discussed and some possible solutions are presented.

Relational database

It is well known that the growth in demands from end users for new applications is outstripping the capability of data processing departments to implement the corresponding application programs. There are two complementary approaches to attacking this problem (and both approaches are needed): one is to put end users into direct touch with the information stored in computers; the other is to increase the productivity of data processing professionals in the development of application programs. It is less well known that a single technology, database management, provides a practical foundation for both approaches. It is explained why this is so.While developing this productivity theme, it is noted that the time has come to draw a very sharp line between and nonrelational database systems, so that the label will not be used in misleading ways. The key to drawing this line is something called a relational processing capability.