The authors seek to establish a simple and flexible framework for internal representation of language-dependent information, and the behavior of language-oriented tools for user's operations. They present a system for generating language-oriented editors based on object-oriented concepts. Features of the target language are represented as classes and their relations. A program is represented as an abstract syntax tree. Each node in the tree belongs to a node class. For generating more advanced editors, probes, internal-classes, and gates are incorporated into the system. The system generates a flexible and easily extendable language-oriented editor from a target language description in a highly modularized fashion by using the description language which the system provides.>

The authors present an environment which involves a debugging tool to aid in the detection and removal at logic errors. The debugging tool is supported by a special architecture, named SPRING, which was originally developed for reliable execution of Ada or Pascal programs. Following an overview of the system backed up by SPRING, the details of SPRING architecture are described, and the implementation of high level debugging on the SPRING architecture is discussed. In conclusion, the trial could be seen as a step toward providing an advanced programming environment for the development of reliable software.