Visual programming language
In computing, a visual programming language (VPL) is any programming
language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements
graphically rather than by specifying them textually
Visual programming lets humans describe processes using illustration.
Whereas a typical text-based programming language makes the programmer
think like a computer, a visual programming language lets the programmer
describe the process in terms that make sense to humans.
Other visual programming tools follow the same processes and paradigms as
text-based programming. Imagine drawing a class and its relationship with
the objects you instantiate, rather than typing it all out into a text editor.
HISTORY
In 1949, pioneering computer scientists Herman Goldstine and John von
Neumann became the first to apply flowcharts to describing computer
programs, while working on the ENIAC computer. Such a visual language was
necessary when programming was a matter of correctly setting thousands of
ten-way ring-counter switches.
By the 1980s, computing was mainstream; Desks increasingly had either
computer terminals or personal computers. In the case of personal
computers, graphical displays replaced the text of CP/M and MS DOS.
The development of new programming languages in the last few decades
has focused a lot on developer experience. This may mean trying to enable
code that is easier to write (the driving force behind Ruby) or easier to read
(Python), or making certain types of logical structures and modes of problem
solving more intuitive.
DIT 200: Fundamentals of Visual Programming Page 1 of 67
,Some languages have been developed to solve particular problems in
programming (PHP and SASS, for example), to manipulate certain types of
systems (SQL), or to run in a particular environment or platform (Java and
JavaScript). A number of languages have been developed for the purpose of
helping newcomers learn programming (BASIC and Scratch are classic
examples).
Since theories and practices around language design have (mostly) settled
into a widely recognized orthodoxy, much of the new and interesting work in
the development of programming practice currently centers around system
architecture.
Relatively recent development includes concepts like SOA (Service Oriented
Architecture) and MVC (Model-View-Controller), and frameworks like Ruby on
Rails that enable programmers to easily work within these paradigms.
TYPES OF PROGRAMMING
Programming
Computer programs are often described as “sets of instructions”, and
computer languages are thought of by many as merely the syntax and
vocabulary for providing these instructions.
COMPILER VS ASSEMBLER
There are many languages present to use for the developing the software.
These compilers are made to do a simple work. In simple language, these are
work on a very basic principle, They just read a code or a program written for
the developing of the software. These can change this code written by the
humans in the language of the humans to the language of the machine. This
code written by the humans is known as the source code. This code written
by the humans is considered as a high-profile language.
DIT 200: Fundamentals of Visual Programming Page 2 of 67
,These compilers convert this high-profile language to the simplest language
for the machine/computer which is the binary language
COMPILER
The compiler works on a basic principle. It simply reads the whole program
written on it. Then it converts the whole program to the machine/computer
language. For this process, the compiler takes a lot of time to read the whole
program or to analyze the whole program. The compilers are generally the
memory eaters. They need a lot of memory to complete their process.
Because they create the object code by analyzing the program written on
them. They work fast as compared to the interpreters. Because they have
the very less execution time. In this process, the whole program doesn’t
require to be created/compiled every time. Languages like to C and the C++
commonly used the compilers.
ASSEMBLER
Assembler is also a compiler. But in the assembler, the source code is written
in the Assembly language. This assembly language is a simple language. And
this language is understandable by the humans as well. The work of an
assembler is to convert the assembly language to the machine language.
The assembler works on the principle of the one to one mapping translation.
There are improvements coming in the assemblers day by day. They are
becoming very easy and user-friendly programs to use as well. The latest
editions of the assemblers work very efficiently and they help us in the
debugging of the written code as well.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPILER AND ASSEMBLER
The compiler is a simple program which converts the source code written by
the humans to a machine language. While the assembler has a little bit
different work, it converts the assembly language to the machine language.
DIT 200: Fundamentals of Visual Programming Page 3 of 67
, Compilers work more directly than the assemblers. The compilers can
convert the human written code in the machine language directly. But the
assembler can’t do this at once. It converts a source code to an object code
first then it converts the object code to the machine language with the help
of the linker programs.
PROGRAMMING APPROACHES
Procedural
“Procedural programming is a programming paradigm, derived from
structured programming, based upon the concept of the procedure call.
Procedures, also known as routines, subroutines, or functions (not to be
confused with mathematical functions, but similar to those used in functional
programming), simply contain a series of computational steps to be carried
out.”
also known as inline programming takes a top-down approach. It is about
writing a list of instructions to tell the computer what to do step by step. It
relies on procedures or routines.
Functional
“Functional programming (FP) is a programming paradigm — a style of
building the structure and elements of computer programs — that treats
computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids
changing-state and mutable data.”
Functional programming (FP) is about passing data from function to function
to function to get a result. In FP, functions are treated as data, meaning you
can use them as parameters, return them, build functions from other
functions, and build custom functions. Functions in FP have to be pure
functions, they should avoid shared state, and side effects and data should
DIT 200: Fundamentals of Visual Programming Page 4 of 67
In computing, a visual programming language (VPL) is any programming
language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements
graphically rather than by specifying them textually
Visual programming lets humans describe processes using illustration.
Whereas a typical text-based programming language makes the programmer
think like a computer, a visual programming language lets the programmer
describe the process in terms that make sense to humans.
Other visual programming tools follow the same processes and paradigms as
text-based programming. Imagine drawing a class and its relationship with
the objects you instantiate, rather than typing it all out into a text editor.
HISTORY
In 1949, pioneering computer scientists Herman Goldstine and John von
Neumann became the first to apply flowcharts to describing computer
programs, while working on the ENIAC computer. Such a visual language was
necessary when programming was a matter of correctly setting thousands of
ten-way ring-counter switches.
By the 1980s, computing was mainstream; Desks increasingly had either
computer terminals or personal computers. In the case of personal
computers, graphical displays replaced the text of CP/M and MS DOS.
The development of new programming languages in the last few decades
has focused a lot on developer experience. This may mean trying to enable
code that is easier to write (the driving force behind Ruby) or easier to read
(Python), or making certain types of logical structures and modes of problem
solving more intuitive.
DIT 200: Fundamentals of Visual Programming Page 1 of 67
,Some languages have been developed to solve particular problems in
programming (PHP and SASS, for example), to manipulate certain types of
systems (SQL), or to run in a particular environment or platform (Java and
JavaScript). A number of languages have been developed for the purpose of
helping newcomers learn programming (BASIC and Scratch are classic
examples).
Since theories and practices around language design have (mostly) settled
into a widely recognized orthodoxy, much of the new and interesting work in
the development of programming practice currently centers around system
architecture.
Relatively recent development includes concepts like SOA (Service Oriented
Architecture) and MVC (Model-View-Controller), and frameworks like Ruby on
Rails that enable programmers to easily work within these paradigms.
TYPES OF PROGRAMMING
Programming
Computer programs are often described as “sets of instructions”, and
computer languages are thought of by many as merely the syntax and
vocabulary for providing these instructions.
COMPILER VS ASSEMBLER
There are many languages present to use for the developing the software.
These compilers are made to do a simple work. In simple language, these are
work on a very basic principle, They just read a code or a program written for
the developing of the software. These can change this code written by the
humans in the language of the humans to the language of the machine. This
code written by the humans is known as the source code. This code written
by the humans is considered as a high-profile language.
DIT 200: Fundamentals of Visual Programming Page 2 of 67
,These compilers convert this high-profile language to the simplest language
for the machine/computer which is the binary language
COMPILER
The compiler works on a basic principle. It simply reads the whole program
written on it. Then it converts the whole program to the machine/computer
language. For this process, the compiler takes a lot of time to read the whole
program or to analyze the whole program. The compilers are generally the
memory eaters. They need a lot of memory to complete their process.
Because they create the object code by analyzing the program written on
them. They work fast as compared to the interpreters. Because they have
the very less execution time. In this process, the whole program doesn’t
require to be created/compiled every time. Languages like to C and the C++
commonly used the compilers.
ASSEMBLER
Assembler is also a compiler. But in the assembler, the source code is written
in the Assembly language. This assembly language is a simple language. And
this language is understandable by the humans as well. The work of an
assembler is to convert the assembly language to the machine language.
The assembler works on the principle of the one to one mapping translation.
There are improvements coming in the assemblers day by day. They are
becoming very easy and user-friendly programs to use as well. The latest
editions of the assemblers work very efficiently and they help us in the
debugging of the written code as well.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPILER AND ASSEMBLER
The compiler is a simple program which converts the source code written by
the humans to a machine language. While the assembler has a little bit
different work, it converts the assembly language to the machine language.
DIT 200: Fundamentals of Visual Programming Page 3 of 67
, Compilers work more directly than the assemblers. The compilers can
convert the human written code in the machine language directly. But the
assembler can’t do this at once. It converts a source code to an object code
first then it converts the object code to the machine language with the help
of the linker programs.
PROGRAMMING APPROACHES
Procedural
“Procedural programming is a programming paradigm, derived from
structured programming, based upon the concept of the procedure call.
Procedures, also known as routines, subroutines, or functions (not to be
confused with mathematical functions, but similar to those used in functional
programming), simply contain a series of computational steps to be carried
out.”
also known as inline programming takes a top-down approach. It is about
writing a list of instructions to tell the computer what to do step by step. It
relies on procedures or routines.
Functional
“Functional programming (FP) is a programming paradigm — a style of
building the structure and elements of computer programs — that treats
computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids
changing-state and mutable data.”
Functional programming (FP) is about passing data from function to function
to function to get a result. In FP, functions are treated as data, meaning you
can use them as parameters, return them, build functions from other
functions, and build custom functions. Functions in FP have to be pure
functions, they should avoid shared state, and side effects and data should
DIT 200: Fundamentals of Visual Programming Page 4 of 67
