Visual specification of interprocess and intraprocess communication

We present a visual specification language for constructing distributed applications and their direct manipulation graphical user interfaces. Each distributed application consists of a collection of independent modules and a configuration of logical connections that define communication among the data interfaces of the modules. Our specification language uses a single visual mechanism that allows end-users to define interprocess communication among distributed modules and to define intraprocess communication among objects within a module. This visual language provides a general encapsulation/abstraction mechanism and is designed to support dynamic change to the communication structure. User interfaces are completely decoupled from the module(s) they control