Methods and systems for developing data flow programs

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide a development tool that enables computer programmers to design and develop a data flow program for execution in a multiprocessor computer system. The tool allows the programmer to define a region divided into multiple blocks, wherein each block is associated with data operated on by code segments of the data flow program. The development tool also maintains dependencies among the blocks, each dependency indicating a relationship between two blocks that indicates that the portion of the program associated with a first block of the relationship needs the resultant data provided by the portions of the program associated with a second block of the relationship. The development tool supports several debugging commands, including insertion of multiple types of breakpoints, adding and deleting dependencies, single stepping data flow program execution, and the like.

1 . A method in a data processing system for developing a data flow program comprising nodes, the method comprising the steps of: 
 initiating execution of the data flow program; and    executing a debugging command on the data flow program.    
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating execution comprises the steps of determining the data dependencies between the nodes and enqueueing the nodes in accordance with the data dependencies.  
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of executing a debugging command comprises the step of executing a breakpoint debugging command.  
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of executing a debugging command comprises the step of executing a dependency modification debugging command.  
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of executing a debugging command comprises the step of executing a step debugging command.  
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of executing a debugging command comprises the step of executing a replay debugging command.