[2603.26863] EZASP -- Facilitating the usage of ASP

Computer Science > Software Engineering arXiv:2603.26863 (cs) [Submitted on 27 Mar 2026] Title:EZASP -- Facilitating the usage of ASP Authors:Rafael Martins, Matthias Knorr, Ricardo Gonçalves View a PDF of the paper titled EZASP -- Facilitating the usage of ASP, by Rafael Martins and 2 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Answer Set Programming (ASP) is a declarative programming language used for modeling and solving complex combinatorial problems. It has been successfully applied to a number of different realworld problems. However, learning its usage can prove challenging as the declarative language, from a conceptual perspective, differs substantially from imperative programming, and programs are not required to adhere to any particular structure, offering arguably almost too much freedom for a beginner. Recently, a new methodology called Easy Answer Set Programming (Easy ASP) has been introduced that aims to aid in this learning process by focussing on a well-defined fragment of the ASP language and introducing additional structure to the programs. However, while this methodology can indeed be employed, to the best of our knowledge, no tool integrates its features currently. In this paper, we present EZASP, a Visual Studio Code extension designed to support the development of ASP programs following the Easy ASP methodology. It covers and extends the language fragment of Easy ASP and provides the user with warnings in the case of deviations from the metho...