JavaWiz: A Trace-Based Graphical Debugger for Software Development Education

Markus Weninger; Simon Grünbacher; Herbert Prähofer

doi:10.1109/ICPC66645.2025.00023

JavaWiz: A Trace-Based Graphical Debugger for Software Development Education

Markus Weninger^*
, Simon Grünbacher^*
, Herbert Prähofer^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Institute for Systems Software

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceedings › peer-review

Abstract

Software development education faces challenges in teaching abstract and complex programming concepts. Since problems in comprehension can lead to decreased student engagement, we introduce JavaWiz: an educational graphical debugger that addresses these challenges by combining traditional debugging functionality with intuitive, dynamic visualizations of program state and run-time behavior. JavaWiz's key features include real-time visualization of heap, stack, and static fields; automatically generated flow charts; interactive representations of data structures; and unique time-travel debugging capabilities. Its step-by-step visual exploration of code execution, including the ability to step backward, bridges the gap between abstract concepts and concrete program understanding. We present the tool's visualization components in detail and discuss its applications in teaching. Lecturers report positive influence on their in-class demonstrations and initial student feedback reinforces the tool's usefulness for program comprehension.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC)
Publisher	IEEE
Pages	147-158
Number of pages	12
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	9798331502232
ISBN (Print)	979-8-3315-0224-9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ICPC66645.2025.00023
Publication status	Published - 28 Apr 2025
Event	2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC) - Ottawa, ON, Canada Duration: 27 Apr 2025 → 28 Apr 2025

Publication series

Name	IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension
ISSN (Print)	2643-7147
ISSN (Electronic)	2643-7171

Conference

Conference	2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC)
Period	27.04.2025 → 28.04.2025

Fields of science

102009 Computer simulation
102013 Human-computer interaction
102011 Formal languages
102022 Software development
102029 Practical computer science
102 Computer Sciences
102024 Usability research

JKU Focus areas

Digital Transformation

Access to Document

10.1109/ICPC66645.2025.00023

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11025901

Cite this

@inproceedings{3bf783f3b4924ebf80ad6d85bd1f0a13,

title = "JavaWiz: A Trace-Based Graphical Debugger for Software Development Education",

abstract = "Software development education faces challenges in teaching abstract and complex programming concepts. Since problems in comprehension can lead to decreased student engagement, we introduce JavaWiz: an educational graphical debugger that addresses these challenges by combining traditional debugging functionality with intuitive, dynamic visualizations of program state and run-time behavior. JavaWiz's key features include real-time visualization of heap, stack, and static fields; automatically generated flow charts; interactive representations of data structures; and unique time-travel debugging capabilities. Its step-by-step visual exploration of code execution, including the ability to step backward, bridges the gap between abstract concepts and concrete program understanding. We present the tool's visualization components in detail and discuss its applications in teaching. Lecturers report positive influence on their in-class demonstrations and initial student feedback reinforces the tool's usefulness for program comprehension.",

keywords = "Visualization, Java, Education, Data visualization, Debugging, Software, Real-time systems, Programming profession, Faces, Software development management",

author = "Markus Weninger and Simon Gr{\"u}nbacher and Herbert Pr{\"a}hofer",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1109/ICPC66645.2025.00023",

language = "English",

isbn = "979-8-3315-0224-9",

series = "IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension",

publisher = "IEEE",

pages = "147--158",

booktitle = "2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC)",

edition = "1",

note = "2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC) ; Conference date: 27-04-2025 Through 28-04-2025",

}

Weninger, M , Grünbacher, S & Prähofer, H 2025, JavaWiz: A Trace-Based Graphical Debugger for Software Development Education. in 2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC). 1 edn, 11025901, IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension, IEEE, pp. 147-158, 2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC), 27.04.2025. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICPC66645.2025.00023

JavaWiz: A Trace-Based Graphical Debugger for Software Development Education. / Weninger, Markus ; Grünbacher, Simon ; Prähofer, Herbert.
2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC). 1. ed. IEEE, 2025. p. 147-158 11025901 (IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceedings › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - JavaWiz: A Trace-Based Graphical Debugger for Software Development Education

AU - Weninger, Markus

AU - Grünbacher, Simon

AU - Prähofer, Herbert

PY - 2025/4/28

Y1 - 2025/4/28

N2 - Software development education faces challenges in teaching abstract and complex programming concepts. Since problems in comprehension can lead to decreased student engagement, we introduce JavaWiz: an educational graphical debugger that addresses these challenges by combining traditional debugging functionality with intuitive, dynamic visualizations of program state and run-time behavior. JavaWiz's key features include real-time visualization of heap, stack, and static fields; automatically generated flow charts; interactive representations of data structures; and unique time-travel debugging capabilities. Its step-by-step visual exploration of code execution, including the ability to step backward, bridges the gap between abstract concepts and concrete program understanding. We present the tool's visualization components in detail and discuss its applications in teaching. Lecturers report positive influence on their in-class demonstrations and initial student feedback reinforces the tool's usefulness for program comprehension.

AB - Software development education faces challenges in teaching abstract and complex programming concepts. Since problems in comprehension can lead to decreased student engagement, we introduce JavaWiz: an educational graphical debugger that addresses these challenges by combining traditional debugging functionality with intuitive, dynamic visualizations of program state and run-time behavior. JavaWiz's key features include real-time visualization of heap, stack, and static fields; automatically generated flow charts; interactive representations of data structures; and unique time-travel debugging capabilities. Its step-by-step visual exploration of code execution, including the ability to step backward, bridges the gap between abstract concepts and concrete program understanding. We present the tool's visualization components in detail and discuss its applications in teaching. Lecturers report positive influence on their in-class demonstrations and initial student feedback reinforces the tool's usefulness for program comprehension.

KW - Visualization

KW - Java

KW - Education

KW - Data visualization

KW - Debugging

KW - Software

KW - Real-time systems

KW - Programming profession

KW - Faces

KW - Software development management

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105009079842

U2 - 10.1109/ICPC66645.2025.00023

DO - 10.1109/ICPC66645.2025.00023

M3 - Conference proceedings

SN - 979-8-3315-0224-9

T3 - IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension

SP - 147

EP - 158

BT - 2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC)

PB - IEEE

T2 - 2025 IEEE/ACM 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC)

Y2 - 27 April 2025 through 28 April 2025

ER -

JavaWiz: A Trace-Based Graphical Debugger for Software Development Education

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Fields of science

JKU Focus areas

Access to Document

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JavaWiz: A Trace-Based Graphical Debugger for Software Development Education

Cite this