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Auteurs principaux: Wen, Xiaolin, Nguyen, Tai D., Zhang, Lun, Sun, Jun, Wang, Yong
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2024
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Accès en ligne:https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.18484
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author Wen, Xiaolin
Nguyen, Tai D.
Zhang, Lun
Sun, Jun
Wang, Yong
author_facet Wen, Xiaolin
Nguyen, Tai D.
Zhang, Lun
Sun, Jun
Wang, Yong
contents Smart contracts are the fundamental components of blockchain technology. They are programs to determine cryptocurrency transactions, and are irreversible once deployed, making it crucial for cryptocurrency investors to understand the cryptocurrency transaction behaviors of smart contracts comprehensively. However, it is a challenging (if not impossible) task for investors, as they do not necessarily have a programming background to check the complex source code. Even for investors with certain programming skills, inferring all the potential behaviors from the code alone is still difficult, since the actual behaviors can be different when different investors are involved. To address this challenge, we propose PrettiSmart, a novel visualization approach via execution simulation to achieve intuitive and reliable visual interpretation of smart contracts. Specifically, we develop a simulator to comprehensively capture most of the possible real-world smart contract behaviors, involving multiple investors and various smart contract functions. Then, we present PrettiSmart to intuitively visualize the simulation results of a smart contract, which consists of two modules: The Simulation Overview Module is a barcode-based design, providing a visual summary for each simulation, and the Simulation Detail Module is an augmented sequential design to display the cryptocurrency transaction details in each simulation, such as function call sequences, cryptocurrency flows, and state variable changes. It can allow investors to intuitively inspect and understand how a smart contract will work. We evaluate PrettiSmart through two case studies and in-depth user interviews with 12 investors. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and usability of PrettiSmart in facilitating an easy interpretation of smart contracts.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_18484
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle PrettiSmart: Visual Interpretation of Smart Contracts via Simulation
Wen, Xiaolin
Nguyen, Tai D.
Zhang, Lun
Sun, Jun
Wang, Yong
Human-Computer Interaction
Smart contracts are the fundamental components of blockchain technology. They are programs to determine cryptocurrency transactions, and are irreversible once deployed, making it crucial for cryptocurrency investors to understand the cryptocurrency transaction behaviors of smart contracts comprehensively. However, it is a challenging (if not impossible) task for investors, as they do not necessarily have a programming background to check the complex source code. Even for investors with certain programming skills, inferring all the potential behaviors from the code alone is still difficult, since the actual behaviors can be different when different investors are involved. To address this challenge, we propose PrettiSmart, a novel visualization approach via execution simulation to achieve intuitive and reliable visual interpretation of smart contracts. Specifically, we develop a simulator to comprehensively capture most of the possible real-world smart contract behaviors, involving multiple investors and various smart contract functions. Then, we present PrettiSmart to intuitively visualize the simulation results of a smart contract, which consists of two modules: The Simulation Overview Module is a barcode-based design, providing a visual summary for each simulation, and the Simulation Detail Module is an augmented sequential design to display the cryptocurrency transaction details in each simulation, such as function call sequences, cryptocurrency flows, and state variable changes. It can allow investors to intuitively inspect and understand how a smart contract will work. We evaluate PrettiSmart through two case studies and in-depth user interviews with 12 investors. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and usability of PrettiSmart in facilitating an easy interpretation of smart contracts.
title PrettiSmart: Visual Interpretation of Smart Contracts via Simulation
topic Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.18484