A GUI approach for programming interconnection structures and real-time features of distributed computing objects

An advanced high-level approach for programming of real-time distributed computing applications, the TMO (Time-triggered Message-triggered Object) programming and specification scheme, has been enabled without creating any new language or compiler. Instead, a middleware system named the TMO Support Middleware (TMOSM) and an API that wraps around the execution support services of TMOSM have been established. An approach enabling further reduction of the labor in TMO programming is to let the programmer use a GUI to build structural frames of application TMO networks.; This research attempted to make significant improvements in the efficiency of programming application TMO network software and the understandability of the program by establishing a concrete graphics based design and programming style, supported by a tool. The supporting tool called the Visual Studio for TMO (ViSTMO) consists of a GUI part for interactive design of TMO network structures, including timing specifications, and a part for automated generation of C++ TMO code-frameworks. If one can focus on object network structuring and action timing specification without suffering from the need to look at low-level details of data manipulation logic during a high-level design, it is bound to result in improved design efficiency and improved program reliability.; ViSTMO provides the user-friendly Graphics-based Design Editor with which programmers can input essential information for object network structuring and timing specification in concise and efficient manners. It helps minimizing the number of errors that can be made by programmers and eliminating or minimizing the amount of redundant information that need to be provided by programmers. It also supports TMO Network Design and Implementation (TMONDI) design methodology which is of a top-down stepwise refinement type. Since graphics-based representations of TMO network designs are much easier to understand than most of the purely character-based representations, ViSTMO also greatly enhances maintainability of application TMO networks. An important advantage of ViSTMO is that it minimizes the gap between design and programming. Most modeling tools devised to help (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...