The invention relates to a system and method for programming an automation system. To avoid conversion errors and to guarantee data during the programming of an automated system, a graphic description by means of pulse timing diagrams is used to generate a program of the automation system, in particular the program of a memory programmable control. Modifications of the pulse timing diagrams thus lead directly to modifications of the program of the memory programmable control, without the need for a renewed conversion that potentially contains errors.

A method for debugging flowchart based computer programs for industrial controllers, in particular motion controllers, wherein suspend commands are assigned to the graphical elements. Through the use of a task control mechanism in the run time system, the user may debug the program on the flowchart level, using a single-step mode and/or a breakpoint mode.

A multiple-user graphical programming and analysis environment is disclosed that includes graphically represented code objects, graphically represented inter-code object connections, application programs, and a graphical white board area. Each code object may be created by a user, and accessible by other users in an asynchronous fashion, in accordance with the security privileges of the other users. Each inter-code object connection represents data transfer between a pair of code objects. Each application program is made up of one or more chains of the code objects, interconnected via the inter-code object connections. The code objects are definable and movable within the graphical white board area, and the inter-code object connections are creatable within this area. The application programs are executable within the graphical white board area. The code objects, as well as the environment itself, may be developed in an architecture-independent and Internet web browsing program-independent computer programming technology, such as Java.