ESPranto SDK: an adaptive programming environment for tangible applications

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the ESPranto Software Development Kit, which supports the development of sensor/actuator based applications, most notably educational toys and games. It enables non-technical users, such as parents, teachers, game developers and psychologists, to specify applications by themselves. The SDK allows them to start off quickly with developing simple applications. Then, as their programming skills increase with experience, the SDK supports them to create more complex applications. This is achieved by offering a complete tool chain with one, consistent programming paradigm. Each link is a separate tool offering a tailored amount of flexibility and complexity. To ensure that users can understand the feedback the SDK provides them, it is given in terms of the tool currently used. Furthermore, by preventing runtime errors, a user can be sure a program will work correctly if it compiles. We validated the ESPranto SDK partially by tests, but mainly by monitoring users applying the SDK. In practice the ESPranto SDK indeed proved to meet its design goals for all of its intended users.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.6 Programming Environments
          Subjects: Programmer workbench

General Terms:
Languages

Keywords:
end-user programming, reactive programming, software development kit, tangible interaction