A predicate-based approach to defining visual language syntax

This paper presents an approach to the specification of visual language syntax. Based on attributed graphs as the notion of abstract syntax, syntactical correctness is specified by a set of predicates over that structure. The proposed technique facilitates the natural embedding of other visual and textual notations, the definition of complex syntactic and static-semantic properties, as well as a precise error diagnosis and localization. An editing environment supporting this technique is briefly discussed.

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