可视化语言技术比一维文本语言在描述软件组成方面具有优越性.由于图表和图形概念在系统建模中的广泛使用,可视化语言可以应用于需求分析、设计、测试和维护等软件开发的各个阶段.除了具有直观易见的特点之外,图文法在计算机上的精确建模和验证能力,为设计可视化语言提供了一个坚实的理论基础.讨论了可视化语言的形式理论基础,回顾了相关的可视化图形编程环境.特别提出了一种空间图文法,并且用该图文法定义了统一建模语言的行为语义.基于空间图文法,开发了一种基于模式驱动的框架,以帮助软件架构与设计.

Visual language techniques have exhibited more advantages in describing various software artifacts than one-dimensional textual languages during software development, ranging from the requirement analysis and design to testing and maintenance, as diagrammatic and graphical notations have been well applied in modeling system. In addition to an intuitive appearance, graph grammars provide a well-established foundation for defining visual languages with the power of precise modeling and verification on computers. This paper discusses the issues and techniques for a formal foundation of visual languages, reviews related practical graphical environments, presents a spatial graph grammar formalism, and applies the spatial graph grammar to defining behavioral semantics of UML diagrams and developing a style-driven framework for software architecture design.