ITMO University
“Programming Technologies” Department

Development of radix sorting algorithm visualizer based on Vizi technology

© 2004 A.I. Ponomarev

Saint-Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics

Project documentation in Russian (PDF)
Source code

Visualizer (English, online)

Annotation

Visualizer is a program, that gives an easy and accessible way to study an algorithm by demonstrating its work on a test data set.

In the Computer technologies department of SPbSU ITMO has been developed Vizi technology for the purpose of automatic creation of algorithms visualizers. In this work usability of Vizi technology has been demonstrated by development of visualizer for algorithm of radix sorting of array of whole numbers.

Using Vizi technology gives us noticeable advantages, compared with the «classic» method:

• code required to make forward and backward steps in algorithm is automatically generated from XML description. Each of this methods is realized by two switch operators;
• XML description of algorithm enables automatic insertion of comments into generated code. This increases readability of code and makes further support much easier;
• binding of comments and drawing actions to states is automatically realized by additional switch operators;
• using universal technology for building visualizers standardizes development process and lets us evade duplication of code and errors resulting from this;
• standard ergonomic visualizer interface makes process of studying collections of algorithms mush easier;
• modification of XML-description is very easy, and reverse code will be changed automatically;
• XML-description is very compact (seven pages against sixteen pages of automatically generated code).