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Modern programming languages offer abstractions that simplify software development and allow hardware to reach its full potential. These abstractions range from the well-established OpenMP language extensions to newer C++ features like smart pointers. To properly use these abstractions in an existing codebase, programmers must determine how a given source code region interacts with Program State Elements (PSEs) (i.e., the program's variables and memory locations). We call this process Program State Element Characterization (PSEC). Without tool support for PSEC, a programmer's only option is to manually study the entire codebase. We propose a profile-based approach that automates PSEC and provides abstraction recommendations to programmers. Because a profile-based approach incurs an impractical overhead, we introduce the Compiler and Runtime Memory Observation Tool (CARMOT), a PSEC-specific compiler co-designed with a parallel runtime. CARMOT reduces the overhead of PSEC by two orders of magnitude, making PSEC practical. We show that CARMOT's recommendations achieve the same speedup as hand-tuned OpenMP directives and avoid memory leaks with C++ smart pointers. From this, we argue that PSEC tools, such as CARMOT, can provide support for the rich ecosystem of modern programming language abstractions.
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This content will become publicly available on April 25, 2026
The Shapes of Abstraction in Data Structure Diagrams
Tools to inspect runtime state, like print statements and debuggers, are an essential part of programming. Yet, a major limitation is that they present data at a fixed, low level of abstraction which can overload the user with irrelevant details. In contrast, human drawings of data structures use many illustrative visual abstractions to show the most useful information. We attempt to bridge the gap by surveying 80 programmer-produced diagrams to develop a mechanical approach for capturing visual abstraction, termed abstraction moves. An abstraction move selects data objects of interest, and then revisualizes, simplifies, or annotates them. We implement these moves as a diagramming language for JavaScript code, named Chisel, and show that it can effectively reproduce 78 out of the 80 surveyed diagrams. In a preliminary study with four CS educators, we evaluate its usage and discover potential contexts of use. Our approach of mechanically moving between levels of abstraction in data displays opens the doors to new tools and workflows in programming education and software development.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2432644
- PAR ID:
- 10656139
- Publisher / Repository:
- ACM
- Date Published:
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 12
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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