Generating graphical applications from state-transition visual specifications

In graphical applications, visual representations are mostly used in an ad hoc fashion with little or no underlying formal support. Due to this, no common methodology for handling visual and diagrammatic representations has emerged and formal techniques for their support are underdeveloped. Usually, a programmer develops a graphical application by applying a general-purpose visual programming environment and ad hoc implementing the application requirements. Then, big efforts are often required when the application has to be successively modified or extended. In this paper, we present a finite-automaton-based formalism for the specification of rapid application development (RAD) visual applications, which provides a formal basis in the visual application generation. A prototype tool, based on this approach, has been developed and it is currently being experimented on a variety of case studies.