[Schreiner]
A Visualization Framework for Semantics of a Concatenative Compositional Language
William Steingartner, Martin Mormák, Wolfgang Schreiner
In: New Trends in Database and Information Systems, Genoveva Vargas Solar, Kostas Stefanidis, Themis Palpanas, Patrick Marcel, Mirian Halfeld-Ferrari, Panos Vassiliadis, Tatjana Welzer, Enrico Gallinucci, Veronika Peralta (ed.), Proceedings of ADBIS 2026: European Conference on Advances in Databases and Information Systems, Orléans, France, September 28 – October 1, 2026, Communications in Computer and Information Science 3175, pp. 332-347. 2027. Springer, Cham, ISBN 978-3-032-39822-2. [doi]@inproceedings{RISC7279,
author = {William Steingartner and Martin Mormák and Wolfgang Schreiner},
title = {{A Visualization Framework for Semantics of a Concatenative Compositional Language}},
booktitle = {{New Trends in Database and Information Systems}},
language = {english},
abstract = {Concatenative programming languages represent an interesting learning environment for teaching formal semantics, stack-based computations, and higher-order programming constructs. However, students often have difficulty understanding the relationship between formal semantic rules and concrete program execution because intermediate states of computation are not directly observable.This paper presents a visualization framework for the KKJ language based on executable semantics. Semantic rules specified in the SLANG language generate execution traces consisting of successive program configurations that are subsequently visualized. The proposed approach transforms formal semantic specifications into observable execution behavior and allows users to observe the evolution of the stack, quotations, and higher-order operations during program execution. The resulting framework establishes a link between formal semantics, executable semantics, and program visualization, thereby supporting the conceptual understanding of stack-based and higher-order computations in concatenative languages. Unlike existing visualization tools, the proposed framework visualizes semantic transitions directly derived from executable semantic specifications, rather than from implementation-level execution.},
series = {Communications in Computer and Information Science},
volume = {3175},
pages = {332--347},
publisher = {Springer},
address = {Cham},
isbn_issn = {ISBN 978-3-032-39822-2},
year = {2027},
editor = {Genoveva Vargas Solar and Kostas Stefanidis and Themis Palpanas and Patrick Marcel and Mirian Halfeld-Ferrari and Panos Vassiliadis and Tatjana Welzer and Enrico Gallinucci and Veronika Peralta},
refereed = {yes},
keywords = {computer science education, concatenative languages, executable semantics, execution trace, formal semantics, program visualization, stack-based computation},
sponsor = {KEGA project 028TUKE-4/2026 – “Innovative approaches to teaching and researching formal methods in the context of modern software engineering”},
length = {16},
conferencename = {ADBIS 2026: European Conference on Advances in Databases and Information Systems, Orléans, France, September 28 – October 1, 2026},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-39823-9_31}
}
author = {William Steingartner and Martin Mormák and Wolfgang Schreiner},
title = {{A Visualization Framework for Semantics of a Concatenative Compositional Language}},
booktitle = {{New Trends in Database and Information Systems}},
language = {english},
abstract = {Concatenative programming languages represent an interesting learning environment for teaching formal semantics, stack-based computations, and higher-order programming constructs. However, students often have difficulty understanding the relationship between formal semantic rules and concrete program execution because intermediate states of computation are not directly observable.This paper presents a visualization framework for the KKJ language based on executable semantics. Semantic rules specified in the SLANG language generate execution traces consisting of successive program configurations that are subsequently visualized. The proposed approach transforms formal semantic specifications into observable execution behavior and allows users to observe the evolution of the stack, quotations, and higher-order operations during program execution. The resulting framework establishes a link between formal semantics, executable semantics, and program visualization, thereby supporting the conceptual understanding of stack-based and higher-order computations in concatenative languages. Unlike existing visualization tools, the proposed framework visualizes semantic transitions directly derived from executable semantic specifications, rather than from implementation-level execution.},
series = {Communications in Computer and Information Science},
volume = {3175},
pages = {332--347},
publisher = {Springer},
address = {Cham},
isbn_issn = {ISBN 978-3-032-39822-2},
year = {2027},
editor = {Genoveva Vargas Solar and Kostas Stefanidis and Themis Palpanas and Patrick Marcel and Mirian Halfeld-Ferrari and Panos Vassiliadis and Tatjana Welzer and Enrico Gallinucci and Veronika Peralta},
refereed = {yes},
keywords = {computer science education, concatenative languages, executable semantics, execution trace, formal semantics, program visualization, stack-based computation},
sponsor = {KEGA project 028TUKE-4/2026 – “Innovative approaches to teaching and researching formal methods in the context of modern software engineering”},
length = {16},
conferencename = {ADBIS 2026: European Conference on Advances in Databases and Information Systems, Orléans, France, September 28 – October 1, 2026},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-39823-9_31}
}
