Abstract: A game in which players modify a nontrivial computer program. Players with competing objectives are given the option of appending instructions (6) to the program, as well as performing special actions (5) such as inserting, deleting, or moving instructions. As the players modify the program, the program executes, modifying variables and potentially moving players closer to or further from their objectives. In addition to serving as a source of enjoyment, the game may be used in an educational context to teach and reinforce computer programming concepts such as conditional branching, looping, and multithreading.

Abstract: Methods and systems provide for automatically diagramming a web site and associated web pages and links based on interactive navigation and selection performed by a user. Through interactive hyperlink selection and diagramming, a web site diagram is constructed that is based upon the web pages and links selected by a user while the user is traversing or navigating the web site starting at any given point within the web site. The diagram may be prepared so that only user-selected web pages and/or links are mapped and diagrammed, or all web pages and/or links at any traversed discovery level of the web site may be mapped and diagrammed. One automatically mapped portion of a selected website may be “bridged” to a second automatically mapped portion of the selected website, where user input allows for selection of the different portions of the web site to be automatically mapped.

Abstract: A topology of connected nodes can be arranged into a compact layout so that the difference between the width and the height of the layout is minimized. The topology of connected nodes can be arranged into a compact layout so that the aspect ratio of the width and the height is optimized toward a preferred value. A preferred width can be calculated and the connected nodes can be arranged so that the difference between the actual and preferred width of the compact layout is minimized.