Integrating extended visualization and interaction functionalities into language server protocol based modeling tools

Abstract

With an increasing complexity level of modern software systems and their development comes a need for a more efficient use of modeling languages. In the recent years, modeling tools have started to shift from the traditional rich client approach to lighter and more decoupled systems, and with that, use more modern technology stacks, such as that of the web. One of such environments is the Eclipse Graphical Language Server Platform, which utilizes the concept of the language server protocol to divide a modeling environment into client and server. Nevertheless, working with spatially large models is still often inconvenient and cumbersome. Even most modern tools offer few means to effectively visualize and interact with large models.This work addresses these problems in two major steps. The first step was to find appropriate means that are able to increase the productivity while working with large models. In order to achieve that, we looked at features and existing research that deal with the visualization and interaction of large information. Furthermore, it presents a taxonomy which aids in the classification and evaluation of such features among three meta-characteristics. Based on these findings, two features were picked that were then conceptualized and integrated into a graphical language server platform in the second step. The first feature, semantic zooming, deals with the dynamic graphical adjustment of visible information based on the current zoom level. The second feature, visualizing off-screen elements, mainly provides a more efficient interaction with elements that are currently off screen. With the conclusion of the second step, this work provides a concept for the integration of both features into a GLSP-based environment. Additionally, it validates both concepts by providing a successful realization of their integration into the Eclipse-GLSP in the form of two prototypes.