Visual programming language

visual programming language, which is based on Scratch, calculating the sum of all numbers with values between a and b In computer programming education, a visual programming language, block coding system or diagrammatic programming language, is a programming language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements rather than by specifying them . A VPL allows programming with visual expressions, spatial arrangements of text and graphic symbols, used either as elements of syntax or secondary notation. For example, many VPLs are based on the idea of "boxes and arrows", where boxes or other screen objects are treated as entities, connected by arrows, lines or arcs which represent relations. VPLs are generally the basis of low-code development platforms. Scratch is an example of a VPL.[https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/software-engineering/introduction-to-visual-programming-language/]

visual programming language, which is based on Scratch, calculating the sum of all numbers with values between a and b In computer programming education, a visual programming language, block coding system or diagrammatic programming language, is a programming language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements rather than by specifying them . A VPL allows programming with visual expressions, spatial arrangements of text and graphic symbols, used either as elements of syntax or secondary notation. For example, many VPLs are based on the idea of "boxes and arrows", where boxes or other screen objects are treated as entities, connected by arrows, lines or arcs which represent relations. VPLs are generally the basis of low-code development platforms. Scratch is an example of a VPL.[https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/software-engineering/introduction-to-visual-programming-language/] ==Definition== VPLs may be further classified, according to the type and extent of visual expression used, into icon-based languages, form-based languages, and diagram languages. Visual programming environments provide graphical or iconic elements which can be manipulated by users in an interactive way according to some specific spatial grammar for program construction. The general goal of VPLs is to make programming more accessible to novices and to support programmers at three different levels Syntax VPLs use icons/blocks, forms and diagrams trying to reduce or even eliminate the potential of syntactic errors helping with the arrangement of programming primitives to create well-formed programs. Semantics VPLs may provide some mechanisms to disclose the meaning of programming primitives. This could include help functions providing documentation functions built-in to programming languages. Pragmatics VPLs support the study of what programs mean in particular situations. This level of support allows users to put artifacts created with a VPL into a certain state in order to explore how the program will react to that state. Examples: In AgentSheets or AgentCubes users can set games or simulations into a particular state in order to see how program would react. With the Thymio programming language users can bring a robot into a certain state in order to see how it will react, i.e., which sensors will be activated. As of 2005, current developments try to integrate the visual programming approach with dataflow programming languages to either have immediate access to the program state, resulting in online debugging, or automatic program generation and documentation. Dataflow languages also allow automatic parallelization, which is likely to become one of the greatest programming challenges of the future. The Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual J# etc. languages of the Microsoft Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) are not visual programming languages: the representation of algorithms etc. is textual even though the IDE embellishes the editing and debugging activities with a rich user interface. A similar consideration applies to most other rapid application development environments which typically support a form designer and sometimes also have graphical tools to illustrate (but not define) control flow and data dependencies. Parsers for visual programming languages can be implemented using graph grammars. ==See also== Argument map Cognitive dimensions of notations - Notation assessment for visual and non-visual languages Concept map Dataflow programming Deutsch limit, an aphorism about the information density of language primitives in a visual notation Domain-specific modeling Drag and drop Flow-based programming Graph drawing Low-code development platform No-code development platform Programming game Unified Modeling Language Visual language Visual modeling Visual thinking ==References== Based on material from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, used with permission. ==External links==

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