OADymPPaC

Tools for Dynamic Analysis and Debugging of Constraint Programs

Project Description

1. Abstract

2. Structure
 
 


1. Abstract

Constraints Programming is a whole of techniques of resolution of problems of very high complexity, like combinatorial optimization, authorizing a high level of expression and analysis of the applications. Most of computation details relates to solver activity. It is therefore necessary to have tools for observing the activity of the solver, making it possible to analyze various parameters like the complexity of the search space, the evolution of the domains of the variables or the use of the constraints at various levels of granularite. Such observations make it possible to include/understand the process of resolution and to model the applications in such a way that a solution is quickerly reached.

Taking into account the state of the art as regards constraint program development and the variety of existing solvers, the principal objectives of the project are the definition of techniques of generic traces and of exchange format in order to facilitate the definition of new constraint program development tool. This will allow the definition and the experimentation of new tools with two fields of application: constraints programming and a better comprehension of the behavior of the solvers on the one hand, and the development of generic techniques of visualization of information, adapted to the visual analysis of the traces produced by dynamic phenomena, on the other hand.

An international working group will be organized in the course of the project to discuss related technical issues and future developments.

The expected impacts of the project are of three kinds: new results in constraint program development and debugging, and visualization of dynamic phenomena; improvement of the industrial and academic platforms: constraint solvers and their tools for constraint program development for Cosytec and modules of visualization for Ilog, enhancement of free platforms like GNU-Prolog; contribution to the teaching of the programming with constraints.
 
 
 

2. Structure