research-article

Scaling Up Visual Programming Languages

Authors:

Margaret M. Burnett,

Marla J. Baker,

Pieter van ZeeAuthors Info & Claims

Computer, Volume 28, Issue 3

Pages 45 - 54

https://doi.org/10.1109/2.366157

Published: 01 March 1995 Publication History

Abstract

Visual programming languages (VPLs) appear to have great promise towards lessening the distinction between programming and problem solving, by making programming more direct, more immediate, and simpler. However, making VPLs suitable for solving large, realistic programming problems often seems to require reintroducing the very complexities that VPLs seek to avoid. This is called the scaling-up problem. This paper discusses the opportunities and obstacles VPLs encounter when attempting to solve the scaling-up problem. An understanding of this problem, its components, and the interrelationships among these components is necessary to ensure that efforts to solve the problem are productive and that these efforts do not compromise the qualities that make VPLs attractive.

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Cited By

Brandstätter USchenkenfelder BHohensinger DKirchtag H(2024)Design Considerations for a Multi-user General-purpose Flow-based Visual Programming EnvironmentProceedings of the 2024 International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces10.1145/3656650.3656751(1-3)Online publication date: 3-Jun-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3656650.3656751
Zhu XNacenta MAkgün ÖNightingale P(2020)How People Visually Represent Discrete Constraint ProblemsIEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics10.1109/TVCG.2019.289508526:8(2603-2619)Online publication date: 30-Jun-2020
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cover image Computer

Computer Volume 28, Issue 3

March 1995

103 pages

ISSN:0018-9162

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Copyright © Copyright © 1995 IEEE. All Rights Reserved.

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IEEE Computer Society Press

Washington, DC, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 March 1995

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Brandstätter USchenkenfelder BHohensinger DKirchtag H(2024)Design Considerations for a Multi-user General-purpose Flow-based Visual Programming EnvironmentProceedings of the 2024 International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces10.1145/3656650.3656751(1-3)Online publication date: 3-Jun-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3656650.3656751
Zhu XNacenta MAkgün ÖNightingale P(2020)How People Visually Represent Discrete Constraint ProblemsIEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics10.1109/TVCG.2019.289508526:8(2603-2619)Online publication date: 30-Jun-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/TVCG.2019.2895085
Aish RMendoza ETolvanen JGray JRossi MSprinkle J(2016)DesignScript: a domain specific language for architectural computingProceedings of the International Workshop on Domain-Specific Modeling10.1145/3023147.3023150(15-21)Online publication date: 30-Oct-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3023147.3023150
Ronell MKruchten PMalek S(2013)Safety concerns regarding the use of visual programming in civilian avionics softwareProceedings of the 4th international ACM Sigsoft symposium on Architecting critical systems10.1145/2465470.2465477(33-38)Online publication date: 17-Jun-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2465470.2465477
Aghaee SPautasso C(2012)Towards a unified benchmarking framework for web-based mashup toolsProceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Adaptive Services for the Future Internet and 6th International Workshop on Web APIs and Service Mashups10.1145/2377836.2377846(40-43)Online publication date: 19-Sep-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2377836.2377846
Ahmadi N(2011)Beyond upload and downloadProceedings of the Third international conference on End-user development10.5555/2022939.2022998(371-374)Online publication date: 7-Jun-2011
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Ortiz-Chamorro SRossi GSchwabe D(2010)Use of hypermedia tools for end-user developmentProceedings of the 10th international conference on Current trends in web engineering10.5555/1927229.1927290(533-537)Online publication date: 5-Jul-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/1927229.1927290
Shen XGu J(2010)Integrating flexibility and interactivity in bioinformatics visual programming tools with Focus+Context algorithmInternational Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics10.1504/IJDMB.2010.0309704:1(109-122)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJDMB.2010.030970
Ortiz-Chamorro SRossi GSchwabe D(2009)Hypertextual Programming for Domain-Specific End-User DevelopmentProceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on End-User Development - Volume 543510.5555/3093119.3093134(225-241)Online publication date: 2-Mar-2009
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Drey ZMercadal JConsel C(2009)A Taxonomy-Driven Approach to Visually Prototyping Pervasive Computing ApplicationsProceedings of the IFIP TC 2 Working Conference on Domain-Specific Languages10.1007/978-3-642-03034-5_5(78-99)Online publication date: 2-Jul-2009
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