MicroScope: a knowledge-based programming environment

A description is given of MicroScope, a knowledge-based environment with tools that directly help programmers understand and modify complex programs. MicroScope is a collection of tools that share a common knowledge base and user interface and that run in a programming environment with many other tools. The features it provides are examined, namely, incremental support, annotations, constraints, dynamic analysis, history and program slices, and location of bugs. The knowledge base is described. The current MicroScope prototype is presented, and the lessons learned from it are discussed.<>