Problems with classical graphical programming - Revision history

Apm at 08:41, 5 May 2024

2024-05-05T08:41:54Z

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	[[Category:Programming]]		[[Category:Programming]]
			[[Category:Software]]

Apm: Up: '''Software trouble pages'''

2023-07-11T11:19:02Z

Up: '''Software trouble pages'''

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			Up: '''[[Software trouble pages]]'''

	= Problems =		= Problems =

Apm: added Category:Programming

2021-09-26T08:35:33Z

added Category:Programming

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	* [[Problems with classical spreadsheets]]		* [[Problems with classical spreadsheets]]

			[[Category:Programming]]

Apm: /* "Flipped graphical programming" */

2021-09-26T07:37:08Z

"Flipped graphical programming"

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	== "Flipped graphical programming" ==		== "Flipped graphical programming" ==

	There are experimental systems that flip the role of boxes and wires. So that wires are functions and boxes are values. <br>		There are experimental systems that flip the role of boxes and wires. <br>
	This has it's own problems though. {{wikitodo\|add ~~specific example and discusion~~}}		So that wires are functions and boxes are values. <br>
			This has it's own problems though. {{wikitodo\|add discussion}}

	'''Example experiment PANE (by Joshia Horowitz):'''		'''Example experiment PANE (by Joshia Horowitz):'''

Apm: /* "Flipped graphical programming" */

2021-09-26T07:36:39Z

"Flipped graphical programming"

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:36, 26 September 2021
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	This has it's own problems though. {{wikitodo\|add specific example and discusion}}		This has it's own problems though. {{wikitodo\|add specific example and discusion}}

	'''Example experiment:'''		'''Example experiment PANE (by Joshia Horowitz):'''
	* http://joshuahhh.com/projects/pane/		* http://joshuahhh.com/projects/pane/
	* https://youtu.be/fIEcXAHy6bU — PANE: Programming with visible data — Joshia Horowitz		* https://youtu.be/fIEcXAHy6bU — PANE: Programming with visible data — Joshia Horowitz

Apm: /* "Flipped graphical programming" */

2021-09-26T07:32:49Z

"Flipped graphical programming"

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	This has it's own problems though. {{wikitodo\|add specific example and discusion}}		This has it's own problems though. {{wikitodo\|add specific example and discusion}}

	~~Such a flipped design is~~ a little closer to spreadsheets. <br>		'''Example experiment:'''
	One gets spreadsheets when ~~going even further~~ like so:		* http://joshuahhh.com/projects/pane/
	* hide the function wires		* https://youtu.be/fIEcXAHy6bU — PANE: Programming with visible data — Joshia Horowitz
	* organize the data boxes in a grid
			----

			Designs that flip the role of boxes and wires are a little closer to spreadsheets. <br>
			One gets spreadsheets when changing a few things like so:
			* hide the function wires fully
			* organize the data boxes in a rigid inflexible grid
	* add live data preview		* add live data preview
	* When editing one specific data box then show the function generating this output. But only for this single box.		* When editing one specific data box then show the function generating this output. But only for this single box.

Apm: added * Problems with classical spreadsheets

2021-09-26T07:09:13Z

added * Problems with classical spreadsheets

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	See: [[Annotated lambda diagrams]]		See: [[Annotated lambda diagrams]]

			= Related =

			* [[Problems with classical spreadsheets]]

Apm: /* "Flipped graphical programming" */

2021-09-26T06:57:51Z

"Flipped graphical programming"

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:57, 26 September 2021
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	* organize the data boxes in a grid		* organize the data boxes in a grid
	* add live data preview		* add live data preview
			* When editing one specific data box then show the function generating this output. But only for this single box.

	Related: [[Problems with classical spreadsheets]]		Related: [[Problems with classical spreadsheets]]

Apm: basic page

2021-09-26T06:49:17Z

basic page

New page

= Problems =

== Likely the most major problems ==

Some (not all) older systems do not even allow for grouping functions into bigger ones. 
Given no means of function composition that should't even be called a programming language. So let's ignore those.

=== Meaning of boxes and wires ===

Typically:
* wires are values and boxes are functions
* wires can't carry functions - because values are implemented to be distinct from functions
* functions are not "first class citizens")
* higher order functions (functions that can take functions as arguments) are not supported

=== Lack of visual continuity despite being all about visual continuity ===

When showing the inside of a function the exterior context is typically fully hidden away. 
Sometimes a dependency tree mini-map is given, but not the actual code context.

== Minor issues - not necessarily bad ==

* There is no constraint on spacial placement of wires and boxes – introducing an element of additional arbitrary data (that needs to be stored and managed)
* On screen information density is significantly lower than in purely textual programming. Really bad when it becomes the reason for not showing code context.

== Effects to investigate (possibly major effects) ==

Code abstractions (~input ports) and code applications (~connections to the input ports) are visually conflated. 
Hard to explain. See: [[Annotated lambda diagrams]] for an example where this is not the case.

= Solution attempts =

== "Flipped graphical programming" ==

There are experimental systems that flip the role of boxes and wires. So that wires are functions and boxes are values. 
This has it's own problems though. {{wikitodo|add specific example and discusion}}

Such a flipped design is a little closer to spreadsheets. 
One gets spreadsheets when going even further like so:
* hide the function wires
* organize the data boxes in a grid
* add live data preview

Related: [[Problems with classical spreadsheets]]

== Abstracting over the meaning of boxes and lines ==

Having higher order functions (and typeclasses / traits / ...) 
One can use things like '''applicative functors and/or monads''' to '''add implicit functionality to the meaning of lines'''. 

This is e.g. attempted in the non-classical visual programming language enso (formerly luna). 
{{wikitodo|Add specific example enso language and discussion.}}

== Reducing boxes to mere annotations of lines by adding more rules on the lines (top down interpretation) ==

Or rather "bottom up": 
Visualize the three basic elements of a fundamental programming language calculus ([[lambda calculus]]) 
as three distinct types of lines and see what happens. 

* Boxes become mere annotations of lines.
* Freedom of placement of lines become strongly restricted because orientation and placement carries meqaning.
* Meaning of lines can become overloaded via applicative functors and/or monads

See: [[Annotated lambda diagrams]]