Exploiting Visualization and Direct Manipulation to Make Parallel Tools More Communicative

Parallel tools rely on graphical techniques to improve the quality of user interaction. In this paper, we explore how visualization and direct manipulation can be exploited in parallel tools, in order to improve the naturalness with which the user interacts with a parallel tool. Examples from recent tool research demonstrate that tool displays can be made more communicative and more intuitive to use. Visualization methods can be used to organize complex performance data into layers and perspectives that exploit the user's visual searching capabilities. Direct manipulation techniques allow the user to focus on key elements and then transition smoothly to further levels of detail or interrelated aspects of program behavior. Heuristics derived from studies with parallel users are proposed for when and how the techniques can be applied more e ectively.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1998
• Where: PARA
• Authors: Cherri M. Pancake
• Keywords: Applied Computing, Direct Manipulation, PARA 1998, Parallel Tool, User