Democratising Access to Logic Programming: A Web Application Design Tool for Querying Prolog Code

Abstract

Logic Programming (LP) is a powerful paradigm for gaining fundamental knowledge and skills in Computer Science. LP facilitates the development of Computational Thinking skills, which are relevant for problem-solving, and also strengthens Logical Thinking abilities. To teach LP effectively, specialised educational resources are necessary. While students develop their programs in Prolog, they often struggle to showcase their running applications to classmates, friends, and family. Providing educational resources that support the creation of Web applications with Prolog querying functionality will motivate students to learn. This work presents Prolog Web App Creator, an integrated development environment for students to design and create Web applications. Ease of use, collaboration, and publication of the result are also relevant aspects of the environment, allowing the students to share the design and the product with their social circles. The proposed solution implements an educational resource to consolidate LP teaching while fomenting collaboration, democratisation, and strengthening current initiatives. Prolog Web App Creator empowers creative individuals to develop solutions using LP and encourages their shift from the role of technology consumers to that of technology creators.