Visualization tools for annotated parse trees and rule based tree rewriters for refactoring.

[link|http://www.artima.com/intv/jackpot.html|http://www.artima.com/intv/jackpot.html]

Seems to me I did that last year. Resume excerpt:

Designed and implemented a rules-based code refactoring tool using annotated parse trees with Swing based visual rule editor/debugger for API conversion. Developed architecture for rule engine for code refactorer, IPC communications system, data serialization library, RuleBuilder workbench (internal rule debugger).

Problem was that the average j-head couldn't understand it.

Also seems to me that LISP and Smalltalk people have been dealing with their code this way for something like 30 years now.