visual programming language

visual programming language
visual language

   <language> (VPL) Any programming language that allows the user
   to specify a program in a two-(or more)-dimensionsional way.
   Conventional textual languages are not considered
   two-dimensional since the {compiler} or {interpreter}
   processes them as one-dimensional streams of characters.  A
   VPL allows programming with visual expressions - spatial
   arrangements of textual and graphical symbols.

   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 the user in an interactive way
   according to some specific spatial grammar for program
   construction.

   A visually transformed language is a non-visual language with
   a superimposed visual representation.  Naturally visual
   languages have an inherent visual expression for which there
   is no obvious textual equivalent.

   {Visual Basic}, {Visual C++} and the entire {Microsoft} Visual
   family are not, despite their names, visual programming
   languages.  They are textual languages which use a graphical
   {GUI builder} to make programming interfaces easier.  The user
   interface portion of the programming environment is visual,
   the languages are not.  Because of the confusion caused by the
   multiple meanings of the term "{visual programming}", Fred
   Lakin has proposed the term "executable graphics" as an
   alternative to VPL.

   Some examples of visual programming languages are {Prograph},
   {Pict}, {Tinkertoy}, {Fabrik}, {CODE 2.0} and {Hyperpascal}.

   (http://cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/ianr/vpl.html).
   (http://cuiwww.unige.ch/eao/www/readme.html).

   Usenet newsgroup: news:comp.lang.visual (NOT for Visual
   Basic or Visual C++).

   (1995-02-10)