Visual language and software development environment for image processing

The Khoros system integrates multiple user interface modes, code generators, instructional aids, data visualization, and information processing to produce a comprehensive image processing research tool. This system can easily be tailored to other application domains because the tools of the system can modify themselves as well as the system. This attribute is important in a system that is designed to be extensible and portable. The Khoros infrastructure consists of three major components: a high-level user interface specification, methods of software development embedded in a code generation tool set, and an interoperable data exchange format and algorithm library. These basic facilities have been used to build a set of applications for performing image processing research, algorithm development, and data visualization. One of the most powerful features of the system is its high-level abstract visual language. Khoros is a successful demonstration of how development programming, end-user applications programming, information processing, data display, instruction, documentation, and maintenance can be integrated to build a state-of-the-art image/data processing and visualization software environment.