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Publications

Publications by João Alexandre Saraiva

2003

Generating spreadsheet-like tools from strong attribute grammars

Authors
Saraiva, J; Swierstra, D;

Publication
GENERATIVE PROGRAMMING AND COMPONENT ENGINEERING, PROCEEDINGS

Abstract
This paper presents techniques for the formal specification and efficient incremental implementation of spreadsheet-like tools. The spreadsheets are specified by strong attribute grammars. In this style of attribute grammar programming every single inductive computation is expressed within the attribute grammar formalism. Well-known attribute grammar techniques are used to reason about such grammars. For example, ordered scheduling algorithms can be used to statically guarantee termination of the attribute grammars and to derive efficient implementations. A strong attribute grammar for a spreadsheet is defined and the first incremental results are presented.

2012

From relational ClassSheets to UML+OCL

Authors
Cunha, J; Fernandes, JP; Saraiva, J;

Publication
Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Applied Computing

Abstract
Spreadsheets are among the most popular programming languages in the world. Unfortunately, spreadsheet systems were not tailored from scratch with modern programming language features that guarantee, as much as possible, program correctness. As a consequence, spreadsheets are populated with unacceptable amounts of errors. In other programming language settings, model-based approaches have been proposed to increase productivity and program effectiveness. Within spreadsheets, this approach has also been followed, namely by ClassSheets. In this paper, we propose an extension to ClassSheets to allow the specification of spreadsheets that can be viewed as relational databases. Moreover, we present a transformation from ClassSheet models to UML class diagrams enriched with OCL constraints. This brings to the spreadsheet realm the entire paraphernalia of model validation techniques that are available for UML. © 2012 ACM.

2011

Strictification of circular programs

Authors
Fernandes, JP; Saraiva, J; Seidel, D; Voigtlander, J;

Publication
PERM'11 - Proceedings of the 20th ACM SIGPLAN Workshop on Partial Evaluation and Program Manipulation

Abstract
Circular functional programs (necessarily evaluated lazily) have been used as algorithmic tools, as attribute grammar implementations, and as target for program transformation techniques. Classically, Richard Bird [1984] showed how to transform certain multi-traversal programs (which could be evaluated strictly or lazily) into one-traversal ones using circular bindings. Can we go the other way, even for programs that are not in the image of his technique? That is the question we pursue in this paper. We develop an approach that on the one hand lets us deal with typical examples corresponding to attribute grammars, but on the other hand also helps to derive new algorithms for problems not previously in reach. © 2011 ACM.

2009

A generic library for GUI reasoning and testing

Authors
Silva, JC; Saraiva, J; Campos, JC;

Publication
Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Applied Computing

Abstract
Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) make software easy to use by providing the user with visual controls. Therefore, correctness of GUI's code is essential to the correct execution of the overall software. Models can help in the evaluation of interactive applications by allowing designers to concentrate on its more important aspects. This paper presents a generic model for language-independent reverse engineering of graphical user interface based applications, and we explore the integration of model-based testing techniques in our approach, thus allowing us to perform fault detection. A prototype tool has been constructed, which is already capable of deriving and testing a user interface behavioral model of applications written in Java/Swing. Copyright 2009 ACM.

2009

From spreadsheets to relational databases and back

Authors
Cunha, J; Saraiva, J; Visser, J;

Publication
Proceedings of the 2009 ACM SIGPLAN Symposium on Partial Evaluation and Program Manipulation, PEPM'09

Abstract
This paper presents techniques and tools to transform spreadsheets into relational databases and back. A set of data refinement rules is introduced to map a tabular datatype into a relational database schema. Having expressed the transformation of the two data models as data refinements, we obtain for free the functions that migrate the data. We use well-known relational database techniques to optimize and query the data. Because data refinements define bidirectional transformations we can map such database back to an optimized spreadsheet. We have implemented the data refinement rules and we constructed HASKELL-based tools to manipulate, optimize and refactor Excel-like spreadsheets. ©2009 ACM.

2007

A Shortcut Fusion Rule for Circular Program Calculation

Authors
Fernandes, JP; Pardo, A; Saraiva, J;

Publication
HASKELL'07: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACM SIGPLAN 2007 HASKELL WORKSHOP

Abstract
Circular programs are a powerful technique to express multiple traversal algorithms as a single traversal function in a lazy setting. In this paper, we present a shortcut deforestation technique to calculate circular programs. The technique we propose takes as input the composition of two functions, such that the first builds an intermediate structure and some additional context information which are then processed by the second one, to produce the final result. Our transformation into circular programs achieves intermediate structure deforestation and multiple traversal elimination. Furthermore, the calculated programs preserve the termination properties of the original ones.

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