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DOI: 10.4230/OASIcs.Programming.2025.10

Shica - Improving the Programming Experience for Agent-Based, Distributed, Physical Computing Systems

Authors: Hiroto Shikada and Ian Piumarta

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 134, Companion Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming (Programming 2025)

Abstract

Agent-based and distributed computing systems play an important role in many fields. Programming these systems can be annoying because of the complexity of managing multiple asynchronous processes and state transitions, sometimes hidden inter-dependencies between program elements, and (often) unnecessarily terse, un-intuitive syntax. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of Shica, an experimental language designed for physical computing that is fun to program. Shica unifies state-based, event-based, and distributed programming along with some elements of context-oriented. We informally evaluate Shica’s characteristics including its suitability for deployment on resource-constrained, embedded devices and its contribution to improving the quality of the programming experience by maximizing scope, economy, and elegance of expression.

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Hiroto Shikada and Ian Piumarta. Shica - Improving the Programming Experience for Agent-Based, Distributed, Physical Computing Systems. In Companion Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming (Programming 2025). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 134, pp. 10:1-10:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{shikada_et_al:OASIcs.Programming.2025.10,
  author =	{Shikada, Hiroto and Piumarta, Ian},
  title =	{{Shica - Improving the Programming Experience for Agent-Based, Distributed, Physical Computing Systems}},
  booktitle =	{Companion Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming (Programming 2025)},
  pages =	{10:1--10:22},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-382-9},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{134},
  editor =	{Edwards, Jonathan and Perera, Roly and Petricek, Tomas},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.Programming.2025.10},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-242948},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.Programming.2025.10},
  annote =	{Keywords: Programming Languages, run-time Systems, agent-based Programming}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/OASIcs.Programming.2025.12

Im-C - A Memory-Safe C Interpreter Providing a Better Learning, Testing, and Debugging Experience

Authors: Masaki Kunii and Ian Piumarta

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 134, Companion Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming (Programming 2025)

Abstract

While it is a highly flexible and efficient language, C programming can be annoying for beginners who have difficultly finding, debugging, or understanding errors - especially those related to memory manipulation. This paper describes an initial phase of Im-C, a project whose goal is to develop a number of related environments that progress from easy-to-understand "C-with-objects" to a safe environment for both testing and learning to write "real" C programs, bringing more fun to the programming experience. In the current phase an experimental C interpreter has been developed to provide a foundation for real-time validation of C program behavior. The interpreter identifies errors related to memory manipulation, pointer operations and array access, by storing all values as objects containing meta-data, while preserving the semantics expected by C programmers. We validate the effectiveness of our interpreter by comparing its ability to detect a range of both common and obscure errors against the two most popular and mature tools currently available.

Cite as

Masaki Kunii and Ian Piumarta. Im-C - A Memory-Safe C Interpreter Providing a Better Learning, Testing, and Debugging Experience. In Companion Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming (Programming 2025). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 134, pp. 12:1-12:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{kunii_et_al:OASIcs.Programming.2025.12,
  author =	{Kunii, Masaki and Piumarta, Ian},
  title =	{{Im-C - A Memory-Safe C Interpreter Providing a Better Learning, Testing, and Debugging Experience}},
  booktitle =	{Companion Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming (Programming 2025)},
  pages =	{12:1--12:18},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-382-9},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{134},
  editor =	{Edwards, Jonathan and Perera, Roly and Petricek, Tomas},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.Programming.2025.12},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-242968},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.Programming.2025.12},
  annote =	{Keywords: C programming Language, debugging Tools, memory Safety}
}

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Documents authored by Piumarta, Ian

Shica - Improving the Programming Experience for Agent-Based, Distributed, Physical Computing Systems

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Im-C - A Memory-Safe C Interpreter Providing a Better Learning, Testing, and Debugging Experience

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