A case study in structure specification: a grid description of Scribe

The author describes a case study in which the grid mechanism was used to describe the structure of Scribe, a document-processing system in widespread use. The structure description is presented and explained in some detail, and the effectiveness of the grid for specifying the important structural features of Scribe is discussed. It is shown that the grid succeeds in its objective of presenting complex structures clearly. A grid specification forms a suitable basis for a narrative explanation of system structure. It is further noted that some detailed improvements would further enhance the expressiveness of the grid, and that environment support is essential for serious use of the grid