Visual programming languages employ visual representation to make programming easier and make programs more reliable and more accessible. Visual program testing becomes increasingly important as more and more visual programming languages and visual programming environments come into real use. In this work, we focus on one important class of visual programming languages: form-based visual programming languages. This class of languages includes electronic spreadsheets and a variety of research systems that have had a substantial impact on end-user computing. Research shows that form-based visual programs often contain faults, but that their creators often have unwarranted confidence in the reliability of their programs. Despite this evidence, we find no discussion in the research literature of techniques for testing or assessing the reliability of form-based visual programs. This lack will hinder the real use of visual programming languages. Our work addresses the lack of testing methodologies for form-based visual programs. In this document, we first examine differences between the form-based and imperative programming paradigms, discuss effects these differences have on methodologies for testing form-based programs, and analyze challenges and opportunities for form-based program testing. We then present several criteria for measuring test adequacy for form-based programs, and illustrate their application. We show that an analogue to the traditional "all-uses" dataflow test adequacy criterion is well suited for testing form-based visual programs: it provides important error-detection ability, and can be applied more easily to form-based programs than to imperative programs. Finally, we present a testing methodology that we have developed for form-based visual programs. To accommodate the evaluation model used with these programs, and the interactive process by which they are created, our methodology is validation-driven and incremental. To accommodate the user base of these languages, we provide an interface to the methodology that does not require an understanding of testing theory. We discuss our implementation of this methodology, its time costs, the mapping from our approach to the user interface, and empirical results achieved in its use. / Graduation date: 1998

A Graphic User Interface is developed to determine the existence of a particular sequence of piano notes within a monophonic sound waveform. Such waveforms are recorded within the Graphic User Interface and then passed to the monophonic analysis engine. The first phase of analysis segments the PCM sound data to localize the potential note locations. The second phase of analysis takes the segmented note locations, moves them to the frequency-domain, and utilizes a probabilistic identification process to determine the identity of each note. Two sound files can be processed together to decide if any notes are common between them. A frequency-based comparison model allows flexibility in finding overlap between the files. Theoretical concepts are visualized using the Graphic User Interface making it a tool for developing additional insight into the analysis of music. / Graduation date: 1997

Until now, attempts to extend the one-way constraint evaluation model of the spreadsheet paradigm to support complex objects, such as colored circles or user-defined types, have led to approaches featuring either a direct way of creating objects graphically or strong compatibility with the spreadsheet paradigm, but not both. This inability to conveniently go beyond numbers and strings without straying outside the spreadsheet paradigm has been a limiting factor in the applicability of spreadsheets. In this thesis we present a technique that removes this limitation, allowing complex objects to be programmed directly--and in a manner that fits seamlessly within the spreadsheet paradigm--using direct manipulation and gestures. We also present the results of an empirical study which suggests that programmers can use this technique to program complex objects faster and with fewer errors. The graphical definitions technique not only expands the applicability of spreadsheet languages, it also adds to their support for exploratory programming and to their scalability. / Graduation date: 1997

This paper is divided into two parts. The first part traces (in details providing proofs and examples) the history of the solutions of polynomial equations(of the first, second, third, and fourth degree) by radicals from Babylonian times (2000 B.C.) through 20th century. Also it is shown that there is no solution by radicals for the quintic (fifth degree) and higher degree equations. The second part of this thesis illustrates both numerical and graphical solutions of the quintic and higher degree polynomial equations using modern technology such as graphics calculators (TI-85, and HP-48G) and software packages (Matlab, Mathematica, and Maple). / Graduation date: 1995

Graduation date: 1995

Tolerance analysis is a major link between design and manufacturing. An assembly or a part should be designed based on its functions, manufacturing processes, desired product quality, and manufacturing cost. Assembly tolerance analysis performed at the design stage can reduce potential manufacturing and assembly problems. Several commonly used assembly tolerance analysis models and their limitations are reviewed in this research. Also, a new assembly tolerance analysis model is developed to improve the limitations of the existing assembly tolerance analysis models. The new model elucidates the impact of the flatness symbol (one of the Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) specification symbols) and reduces design variables into simple mathematical equations. The new model is based on beta distribution of part dimensions. In addition, a group of manufacturing variables, including quality factor, process tolerance, and mean shift, is integrated in the new assembly tolerance analysis model. A computer integrated system has been developed to handle four support systems for the performance of tolerance analysis in a single computer application. These support systems are: 1) the CAD drawing system, 2) the Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) specification system, 3) the assembly tolerance analysis model, and 4) the tolerance database operating under the Windows environment. Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is applied to exchange the data between two different window applications, resulting in improvement of information transfer between the support systems. In this way, the user is able to use this integrated system to select a GD&T specification, determine a critical assembly dimension and tolerance, and access the tolerance database during the design stage simultaneously. Examples are presented to illustrate the application of the integrated tolerance analysis system. / Graduation date: 1995

At head of title: Energy Laboratory and Dept. of Nuclear Engineering. / Sponsored by Boston Edison Company and others under MIT Energy Laboratory Electric Utility Program.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Guang R. Gao, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis concerned the design and implementation of an extensible computer language for microcomputer users. The language was shown to provide a minimal set of features which can be extended toward particular applications. The interactive nature of the language was discussed, along with a description of each language feature.Also presented were implementation specifics involving the use of a technique called threaded code. Motivations for the use of extensible languages were discussed, along with suggestions for further extensions and applications.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 57406

Thesis (M. Sc(Computer Science))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [180]-191).