GADD - A Tool for Graphical Animated Design and Debugging.

One of the most commonly used representations of a software system is a graphical diagram showing its components and the information communicated between them. GADD is a tool which creates these graphical diagrams from either a design simulation or the implemented system. Users can observe an animation of the messages flowing in the system, changing the level of detail as desired. The animation can be controlled like a movie, using fast forward, single frame, and rewind buttons. Debugging features include examination and modification of message fields or component variables, and the ability to compare different sets of messages. This paper gives an overview of how a user interacts with GADD for design and debugging tasks, how the internal components of GADD are organized, and a status report on the current prototype.