The Challenges in the Design of a Visual Graph-base Programming Language
The Challenges in the Design of a Visual Graph-base Programming Language

Summary/Abstract: For many years graph-based presentations were used for describing algorithmic processes or programs, but mainly as a support for understanding or illustration. In the present paper we describe the problems and outline the design of a visual graph-based universal programming language. The desire of the language to be object-oriented and functional leads to ideas similar to those used for data-flow programming, but differ from them in many respects. The system that we discuss uses two kinds of nodes – data nodes and action nodes, the late performing some computations. We address the problems of visualization and encapsulation of such a system. We consider the possibility of a hybrid system where the performance of an action node can be described in an ordinary linear programming language. Different types of data and action nodes will be considered as well as the possible global and individual control mechanisms.

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