computer science

Macroprogramming

Macroprogramming is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Macroprogramming rather than just read about it. In short: In computer science, macroprogramming is a programming paradigm aimed at expressing the macroscopic, global behaviour of an entire system of agents or computing devices. In macroprogramming, the local programs for the individual components of a distributed system are compiled or interpreted from a macro-program typically expressed by a system-level perspective or in terms of the intended global goal.

Key takeaways

Macroprogramming belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Macroprogramming to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Macroprogramming from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computer science, macroprogramming is a programming paradigm aimed at expressing the macroscopic, global behaviour of an entire system of agents or computing devices. In macroprogramming, the local programs for the individual components of a distributed system are compiled or interpreted from a macro-program typically expressed by a system-level perspective or in terms of the intended global goal. The aim of macroprogramming approaches is to support expressing the macroscopic interactive behaviour of a whole distributed system of computing devices or agents in a single program, or, similarly, to promote their collective intelligence. It is not to be confused with macros, the mechanism often found in programming languages (like C or Scala) to express substitution rules for program pieces. Macroprogramming originated in the context of wireless sensor network programming and found renewed interest in the context of the Internet of Things and swarm robotics. Macroprogramming shares similar goals (related to programming a system by a global perspective) with multitier programming, choreographic programming, and aggregate computing.

Context and motivation Programming distributed systems, multi-agent systems, and collectives of software agents (e.g., robotic swarms) is difficult, for many issues (like communication, concurrency, and failure) have to be properly considered. In particular, a general recurrent problem is how to induce the intended global behaviour by defining the behaviour of the individual components or agents involved. The problem can be addressed through learning approaches, such as multi-agent reinforcement learning, or by manually defining the control program driving each component. However, addressing the problem by a fully individual (or single-node) perspective may be error-prone, because it is generally difficult to foresee the overall behaviour emerging from complex networks of activities and interactions (cf. complex systems and emergence). Therefore, researchers have started investigated ways to raise the abstraction level, promoting programming of distributed systems by a more global perspective or in terms of the overall goal to be collectively attained.

Examples

ScaFi The following program in the ScaFi aggregate programming language [1] defines the loop control logic needed to compute a channel (a Boolean field where the devices yielding true are those connecting, through a hop-by-hop path, a source device to a target device) across a large set of situated devices interacting with neighbours.

What is interesting to note is that the channel function, as well as the functions that are used to implement it, namely distanceTo, distanceBetween, dilate, broadcast etc. can be interpreted not just in terms of the individual behaviour of a device, but rather by a macroscopic perspective. In fact, for instance, distanceTo(s) is used to compute the field of minimum distances from the closest device for which expression s yields true: this is effectively a distributed data structure that is sustained through processing and communication with neighbours, in a self-organising way. Semantically, such functions define a macro-level (or collective) behaviour that yields a macro-level (or collective) data structure. Such macro-level functions/behaviours can be composed together to obtain another more complex macro-level function/behaviours.

Regiment The following program in the Regiment language can be used to compute the mean temperature perceived by the whole system:

PyoT The following program in PyoT can be used to turn on a fan if the mean temperature computed by several sensors exceeds a certain threshold.

TinyDB In TinyDB, a data-oriented macroprogramming approach is used where the programmer writes a query which turns into single-node operations and routing in a wireless sensor network.

See also Multitier programming Choreographic programming Aggregate computing Distributed computing

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Macroprogramming

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Macroprogramming claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Macroprogramming before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Macroprogramming ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Macroprogramming

In research: Macroprogramming appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Macroprogramming in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Macroprogramming is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Distributed computing, Programming languages, Programming paradigms, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Macroprogramming outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Macroprogramming in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Macroprogramming means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Macroprogramming out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Macroprogramming in simple terms?

Why does Macroprogramming matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Macroprogramming?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Macroprogramming.