Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for non-deterministic incremental program replay using checkpoints and syndrome tracking. Replay of a program proceeds by, for a given execution of the program, recording one or more checkpoints of the program, the one or more checkpoints containing program state information; and a recorded list of values for one or more identified variables executing in one or more threads of the program. Thereafter, during a replay execution of the program, the process continues by commencing execution from a particular one of the recorded checkpoints; restoring the program state information associated with the particular one of the recorded checkpoints; comparing an observed list of values to the recorded list of values for the one or more identified variables executing in each of the one or more threads; and identifying a difference between the observed list of values and the recorded list of values.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for comparing two computer program codes is disclosed. For each code, a stream of lexemes is generated for the program text of each code. The streams are concatenated in the same order as the program text. The two concatenated streams of lexemes are compared on a language-type by language-type basis to identify lexemes present only in one stream. The comparison derives a set of edit operations including minimal text block moves needed to convert one program code into the other program code.

Abstract: A system (and method, and method for deploying computing infrastructure) for facilitating fixing program development errors found during different phases of program development using different programming tools, such as compilers, linkers, library managers, and debuggers, and can be integrated into a program development environment encompassing all tools. The exemplary aspects of the present invention can detect a qualified set of problems from which to recover with sufficient information, as typically provided by a user or other intelligent or artificial intelligent means, and upon error detection, can initiate a communication with the user (or other support software), to acquire information that could remedy the problem.

Abstract: The provision of methods and apparatus to determine package identity for an application build. The idea is based on providing a mapping of package with affiliated attributes such as paths used for include or linking, along with reverse mappings. This mapping could be provided through any number of conventional environments such as program development environments or operating system registries: Tools would access this information through a programmatic interface, and use that information to identify packages affiliated with some information. For example, a symbol in a program would be defined in some file. That file would be in a path, which maps to the package identity. Thus, the symbol definition can be conceptually affiliated with a package.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements for managing error messages from a set of programming tools within a program development environment, such as compilers, linkers, library builders, etc. The error messages are arranged as a directed acyclic graph, with the nodes as error messages, and edges as dependency relationships. In accordance with at least one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are broadly contemplated the following: allowing one or more programming tool to report errors to an error manager component; deducing dependencies amongst error messages, based on error dependency definition provided to the error manager; and delivering messages and dependencies to client components. Although framed within the context of program development tools, this solution could be applied to many other tools outside this domain, under suitable and specified requirements.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for non-deterministic incremental program replay using checkpoints and syndrome tracking. Replay of a program proceeds by, for a given execution of the program, recording one or more checkpoints of the program, the one or more checkpoints containing program state information; and a recorded list of values for one or more identified variables executing in one or more threads of the program.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for non-deterministic incremental program replay using checkpoints and syndrome tracking. Replay of a program proceeds by, for a given execution of the program, recording one or more checkpoints of the program, the one or more checkpoints containing program state information; and a recorded list of values for one or more identified variables executing in one or more threads of the program. Thereafter, during a replay execution of the program, the process continues by commencing execution from a particular one of the recorded checkpoints; restoring the program state information associated with the particular one of the recorded checkpoints; comparing an observed list of values to the recorded list of values for the one or more identified variables executing in each of the one or more threads; and identifying a difference between the observed list of values and the recorded list of values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for utilizing graphical representations of programming objects to reflect the state of programming objects. State reflection is unique in that it reflects the state of programming objects at the time of programming, rather than during execution, in a visual programming language. The visual programming language comprises a set of graphic aspects which are associated with data element states via a set of graphic aspect references. Each programming object used in the visual programming language comprises a set of data elements. The programming objects may be related via super and subclass objects structures. The method detects when a data element has changed its state and reflects that state change in the visual representation of the programming objects and their respective graphic aspects. A list of graphic aspect references points to a number of graphic aspects which may or may not be applicable to the detected state change.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depicting programming state of programming objects through a combination of associating semantic stat space with programming objects, updating semantic state through affiliated state updates with each programming action, and resolving the alternative programming states with a convergence operator defined on the semantic state space of the programming object type. The state reflection process is further defined in cases where the visual programming object participates in multiple execution paths, as would be the case in, for example, an IF statement wherein the variable is used on both the Left and Right sides. More particularly, this technique resolves these differing states back into a single state representation for the programming object.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a computer system adapted for composing sound. Sound is composed via a combination of blocks and modifiers, where a block is an abstraction of a collection of data that, when processed by appropriate algorithms and hardware, produces sound. Further, the current invention also comprises one or more modifiers, each of which, when applied to a block, alters the sound produced by that block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for defining direct manipulation relationships amongst graphical elements of hierarchically structured visuals. The method provides a means for specifiying direct manipulation relations in a manner identical to the way they would be utilized in applications. The method captures the direct manipulation specifications as data, which applications may readily utilize to implement those direct manipulation relationships. The direct manipulation relationships are specified at design time, for example, using graphical objects similar to those of the applications, and using graphical gestures identical to the ones to be used in the application. This is a form of direct manipulation by example. Data capturing direct manipulation specifications made in this manner could then be easily used directly in applications.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying a resolution policy for direct manipulation of nested graphical elements. This policy resolves the allowance or disallowance of dragging and dropping of a guest graphical element onto a host graphical element. This is particularly useful when applied to hierarchically structured visual, wherein nested graphical elements may delegate direct manipulation to parent graphical elements. A number of allowed manipulations are defined for the guest and host visual objects. A guest visual object may not have a defined manipulation with a host visual object, but its immediate parent might. The present invention resolves policies for defining allowed manipulations for guest and host visual objects that do not have direct definitions for manipulations and must rely on definitions attributed to their parent.

Abstract: Data is graphically displayed using a set of successive outer sectors of a geometrical shape, such as nested concentric circles, in order to provide easy navigation through related data items. Successive outer portions may be partitioned into sectors and are related to the adjacent inner more sector of the graphical representation. The outer sectors may be dynamic or static in nature. When a user selects an outer sector, that outer sector appropriately regenerates to become the new focus (or center) of the graphical representation and successive outer sectors related to the new focus are generated in order to easily navigate through the nodes of the present invention. If the outer sectors were already displayed, those outer sectors become redisplayed to inner more sectors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combining undo and redo contexts in a distributed access environment is described. A first user gains access to data items residing on a database and modifies the data items. The modifications are incorporated into a user activity log. A subsequent user also accesses and modifies the same data items, which modifications are merged into the activity log. The merged activity log forms one sequential well ordered set of actions, including the modification made by the first user and the subsequent user. The user activity logs may be created for individual data items, individual users or for all modifications made to separate data items. A system for combining undo and redo contexts in a distributed access environment is also described.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for altering the harmonic referent of segments of a music composition while maintaining conformity to a harmonic rule-base. It enables one to make changes to the harmonic referent (i.e. chord progression) underlying a segment of music, which causes a change in the pitches within that segment so that the pitches are have a compatible analysis within the new chord progression. The invention can advantageously preserves the harmonic function of each pitch in the segment, while changing the harmonic content of the passage. Further, the invention can preserve the shape of a melody line during such a transformation.

Abstract: The present invention enables non-musicians to effectively compose music using a computer, and provides them with the means to manipulate musical content in an intuitive fashion without the need for formal musical training. The invention combines a representation of musical knowledge with a representation of musical data in such a way that permits transposition of the data to be constrained to conform to a set of harmonic rules. The user can select pitches to be moved higher or lower, and a system insures that it sounds good (where good is defined to mean "satisfies the conditions of the harmonic rule base").

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for altering the harmonic referent of segments of a music composition while maintaining the register of the musical segments and their conformity to a harmonic rule-base. By combining the three novel notions of a "role-preserving" transformation "shape-preserving" transformation, and a "register" preserving transformation, a novel operation enabled by the present invention can be described. Essentially, the invention allows a pitch to be moved from one harmonic context to another. The pitches are then constrained to take on values that have the same harmonic function as their corresponding original pitches, while remaining, as much as possible, within the same register as their corresponding original pitches. Secondly, when a group of pitches are moved together as a melody, the operation can preserve not only the function and register of the pitches but the shape of the melody.

Abstract: A first method manages a display screen window of an application program that is halted and includes the following steps: in responsive to an application program being halted, (a) copying the informational content of a window of the halted application program; (b) creating a second window, referred to as a shadow window, to be in registration with the window of the halted application program such that the window of the halted application program is hidden from the view of an observer of the display screen; (c) painting the second window with the copy of the informational content of the halted application program; and (d) in response to a message to re-paint the second window, re-painting the second window with the copy of the informational content of the halted application program.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for indicating to a user of a data processing system having a display a location or locations of information within a presentation space. A first step provides on the display a view window for providing a view into a first region of a larger presentation space. A second step displays on the display at least one scrollbar having a moveable indicator for indicating a position of the view window within the presentation space. A third step displays within the scrollbar at least one indicia for indicating a relative location of a feature of interest within the presentation space. The indicia may take the form of alphanumeric characters, symbols, colors, graphical images, audio information and combinations thereof. In response to a user positioning the moveable indicator to a position associated with the at least one indicia a fourth step re-positions the view window to provide a view of a second region of the presentation space, the second region including the feature of interest.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is described for displaying on a screen, a plurality of views of a software code listing. The method includes the steps of displaying a first view-type of at least a portion of the software code listing and selecting and displaying additional view-types of the software code listing. The system includes a prioritized listing of view-types, each view-type providing a different presentation of a code listing. When a program listing in one file presents a call to another file, the system automatically presents a window including the called code listing, with the view-type automatically selected in accordance with the preestablished priority listing. Windows/code views are handled as objects, and are thus immediately recallable using a graphical interface.