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8.b The Tile Editor

The Tile Editor is an environment for the creation and modification of Paracell Code. Included in the environment are various tools to assist in the organization and viewing of code. While the user enters code, the editor is working behind the scenes, checking spelling, searching the dictionary for variable matches, and performing small scale analysis or parsing of like-plurals and possessives. When the editor can't understand something the user has written, the user is not interrupted. Rather, when the user finishes a session, the editor will highlight ambiguous words or questionable operations.

8.c The Compiler

Once Paracell code has been created with the Tile Editor, the next step is to translate it to FIL (Flavors Implementation Language). The Compiler completes the parsing begun by the Tile Editor.

The Compiler is fully incremental at the tile level. This means that a single tile, or several tiles, may be created or modified without compiling any other tiles or inhibiting any running tiles.

8.d The Loader

The Paracell Loader takes the FIL code, binds tiles to cells in the PIM, binds variables to shared memory addresses, loads the code into the local memory of the cells, and initiates the final conversion from FIL to machine code. The conversion to machine code is performed locally by the processors in the PIM rather than at the workstation level. Thus, compiling benefits speed-wise as a result of being done in parallel.

A user may specify a tile or group of tiles to be downloaded the PIM. Tiles running in cells that are not being loaded are not affected in any way by the loading of tiles into other cells so as to minimize down-time for software changes. When a tile is loaded over another tile to replace it, the replacement happens synchronously such that the performance of other tiles is not affected.

8.e The Paracell Debugger

The Paracell Debugger provides mechanisms for monitoring any variable in shared memory. The main debugging facility is an on-line display of variables selected by the user. Imports may be set and exports may be monitored for any tile.

Figure 3-18. The Paracell Debugger. Variables in a cell can be monitored or set from this window.

Variables can be set to a specific value, held at a specific value (forced), or toggled on and off with commandoids. Yet another means of interacting with the application, commandoids are easily called up by double-clicking on variable values displayed in a debugger window such as the one shown above. Similarly, values and commandoids can be called up by accessing values through a SoftScope interface that displays a particular variable, through the Tile Editor, or through the Paracell Tracker.

Figure 3-19. In the example shown above, a commandoid was called up for the variable S1_Tick. Its current value of "0" is shown on the commandoid. In the example on the right, we've used the commandoid to force S1_Tick's value to 28. The padlock icon lets the developer know that this variable is forced to a specific value.

The debugger also can monitor the execution of tiles and provide performance data for any specified tile. The available performance data for a given tile includes the number of times the tile has completed, and the minimum and maximum cell time left over each time the tile completes.

8.f Softscope

SoftScope provides a graphical user interface for monitoring and directing Paracell program execution. SoftScope does not control the execution of PIM, except when the user chooses to set Paracell variable values through the SoftScope interface.

SoftScope allows users to construct arbitrary display windows freely and easily. There are various types of display elements from which to choose:

Digital display	A digital display of alphanumeric values.
Binary display	An on/off display (e.g. PIM cabinet door open/closed).
Bar chart display	An analog version of the digital display.
Strip chart display	An analog display that keeps a recorded history of values.
Text display	Selected by PIM variable value or a range of values for purposes of updating a field
PICT display	Selected by PIM variable value or a range of values for purposes of updating a field, or a moving PICT display for graphical representation of process values to the user
Buttons	For interacting with the process/application

Figure 3-20.

SoftScope background screens are developed using any standard draw or paint program that can produce PICT files. These files provide the background or graphical representation of a process. Variables selected for display are then used to select other PICT files or graphic elements which are included as an overlay to the background graphic, presenting the developer and/or the ultimate end user of the application with meaningful, effective graphical overviews of the process.

Figure 3-21.

8.g Find Objects

Within the Navigator environment, there are a host of tools that make it easier for the user of developer to move about the pyramid. One such tool is the Find Objects window. This tool provides quick access to the various tiles that make up an application database. Using this tool, you can locate tiles, variables, debuggers, softscopes, and other database attributes by name, creation date, author, et cetera.

Figure 3-22.

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