1. A visual execution monitoring tool for monitoring execution of an hierarchical visual program, comprising: one or more components for generating program execution progress reports upon reaching predefined stages of program execution, and for sending the reports to an execution monitoring controller; an execution monitoring controller for maintaining information representing the hierarchical structure of the hierarchical visual program and for mapping received progress report data to the hierarchical program structure; and means for generating, during execution of said visual program, a visual representation of the hierarchical program structure and a visual representation of the position within the hierarchical program structure corresponding to the stage of program execution indicated by the received progress report data.