User interface for developing and executing data flow programs and methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for optimizing the execution of data flow programs

A data processing system containing a development tool that displays a user interface for at least one of reconfiguring the processing flow of an existing software program according to a data flow model, and developing a new software program according to said data flow model, said user interface comprising:

• a first view configured to receive instructions defining a memory region and dividing said memory region into a plurality of blocks, each block of said plurality of blocks defining a set of values associated with a function;
• a second view configured to receive instructions defining sets of the blocks, each block in a set having a predetermined state reflected by a designated portion of said program according to said data flow model that when executed transforms the values defined by said blocks based on the function;
• and
• a third view configured to receive information reflecting any dependencies among the blocks, wherein each dependency indicates a relationship between a plurality of said blocks based on said predetermined state of each block.

A data processing system, comprising:

• a memory containing:
• a first program;
• a development tool for developing a second software program according to a data flow model, including (i) a memory region divided into region into a plurality of blocks, wherein each block in said plurality of blocks defines a set of values associated with a function and has a predetermined state reflected by a designated portion of the first program that when executed transforms the values defined by said block based on the functions, and (ii) any dependencies among the blocks, each wherein dependency indicates a relationship between two blocks and requiring the portion of the first program associated with a first block of the relationship to be executed before the portion of the first program associated with a second block of the relationship;
• and
• at least one processor for running the development tool.

A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for at least one of reconfiguring a processing flow of an existing software program according to a data flow model, and developing a new software program according to said data flow model, said method comprising:

• permitting a user to specify a memory region and divide said memory region into a plurality of blocks, each block of said plurality of blocks defining a set of values associated with a function;
• permitting a user to define sets of the blocks, each block in a set having a predetermined state reflected by a designated portion of said program according to said data flow model that when executed transforms the values defined by said block based on the function;
• and
• permitting a user to assign any dependencies among the blocks wherein each dependency indicates a relationship between a plurality of said blocks based on said predetermined state of each block.

A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for at least one of reconfiguring a processing flow of an existing software program according to a data flow model, and developing a new software program according to said data flow model, said method comprising:

• displaying a first view configured to receive instructions defining a memory region and dividing said memory region into a plurality of blocks, each block of said plurality of blocks defining a set of values associated with a function;
• displaying a second view configured to receive instructions defining sets of the blocks, each block in a set having a predetermined state reflected by a designated portion of said program according to said data flow model that when executed transforms the values defined by said blocks based on the function;
• and
• displaying a third view configured to receive information reflecting any dependencies among the blocks, wherein each dependency indicates a relationship between a plurality of said blocks based on said predetermined state of each block.