Visual programming language

As Graphical Programming Language (English visual programming language, VPL ) is defined as a programming language in which a program, algorithm or system behavior is defined by graphical elements and their arrangement.

As Graphical programming languages ​​are more intuitive to use than textual programming languages, they can often be used by end users, this is called End User Development.

VPL can be divided in icon, and chart -based languages ​​on the type of visual representation.

There is virtually no software - independent definition of a graphical programming language, but a native of the control technology presentation served as a block diagram of the mid-1980s development environments such as LabVIEW or Simulink as a template and is thus the origin of the general block diagram. The semantics of state diagrams varies between implementations such as Stateflow or ASCET state diagram too strong, as the basis of a universal language definition could be derived.

Examples of graphical programming

  • Often the graphical representation is in the form of a block diagram in which a block, shown generally by a rectangle, a specific data - processing or signal -represented, while lines connecting a plurality of blocks together represent the data stream or signal flow.
  • The second major group consists of languages ​​that are based on state diagrams. Here, an area element as a possible state of the rectangle represents lines between states of state transitions.
  • With block diagrams are also links the notion of data stream -oriented programming, while speaking to the control structures of textual programming languages ​​of programming in the control flow in state diagrams based.
  • With a graphical report generator can be, for example, lists and forms ' program ' by functions such as sorting, break etc. defined from the data fields contained in 'field list ' as well as the desired layout is put together.
  • With so-called Endbenutzerdatenbanken (EDB) to databases - with its components such as attributes, relationships, etc. - are defined graphically, as well as incorporating the standard data operations that are converted to run, for example, in SQL commands.
  • Programming paradigm
Field (computer science)
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