| My thesis is
that Dr. Jones should play the role of a semi-intelligent diagramming partner
in software design exploration. Dr.
Jones knows about software structures, how to diagram them, and some of the
ways they might be changed, but not enough to make design decisions – that’s
up to the programmer. Dr. Jones
automates the drawing of the diagrams, and, like hand-drawn ones, they
contain task-specific information and remind the programmer of the changes he
intends to make. |
|
| But, unlike
hand-drawn diagrams, they are dynamic: they can show redesigns and record
multiple design alternatives. I
propose a three-phase model of interaction between Dr. Jones and the
programmer, which I believe will accomplish this goal. |