B+ Tree Viewer

This visualization tool is intended to help understand B+ Tree search, insertion and deletion algorithms. As operations are carried out, the main window shows the structure of the tree, and an auxiliary window shows the nodes affected by the current operation. The contents of any node can be seen by clicking on the node. The tool can be run against a previously generated trace of B+ Tree operations, stepping through the trace one or more steps at a time or upto a preset breakpoint, or with interactive insertions and deletions.

The tool can be executed using the command btview. Examples are included in the directory vis2/bttool/exercises.

Design Decisions

The tool essentially maintains the visual state of the tree; the actual tree is maintained by executing Minibase in the background. When the contents of a node are desired, for instance, they are obtained by issuing a call to Minibase.

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