Development of XML-based Tools to Support User Interaction with Algorithm Visualizations

Algorithm Visualization seems to be most effective when it is combined with engaging interaction. To make adding interaction elements easier and portable, the Working Group will begin the process of creating a set of design specifications for tools that support portability. The tools will facilitate sharing some of the following types of resources across different AV systems:

• Graphical primitives
• Hypertext documents
• Interactive questions
• Interactive input generators
• Content generation libraries

To ensure portability across different AV systems, each of the support tools will present its associated data to the AV systems in XML form. The working group therefore also has to design an XML language for describing the components. After ITiCSE 2005, a team of participants shall begin implementing a parser for this language that converts the XML into an object tree. This object tree can then be encoded in an appropriate way for the set of supported tools.

Further information to be found here includes...

• A small introduction to XML parsing in Java,
• The Working Group proposal
• Contact either Tom Naps or Guido Rößling to obtain information on joining the working group.

Last changed 2002-02-27 09:57:00 CET