BladeRunner is a research project that explores the use of intentional and code generative approaches to facilitate programming in MPI. The BladeRunner development environment provides an interactive visual approach based on diagrams with figures representing higher level abstractions of MPI artifacts. This, along with direct manipulation of visual abstractions, allows the user to both view and express coding intentions clearly and rapidly. As a constructive programming paradigm, direct manipulation of diagrams translates into coding actions reflected into generated program code. Thus, programming focus is higher level, on visual representations for MPI programming concepts, and evolution of program state reflected in diagrams, instead of syntax or language structure details.
We describe the vision for this work, and a discussion of the BladeRunner prototype tool, built upon the Eclipse open-source platform. This paper specifically focuses on applicability of this tool to MPI communicator construction. We discuss the conceptual interface of this tool, along with design issues regarding this intentional programming model and visual infrastructure.
By: Donald P. Pazel; Beth R. Tibbitts
Published in: RC23797 in 2005
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