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Light Table - a new IDE concept

chris-granger.com

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Re: Light Table - a new IDE concept

#221

Post by kristianp »

stcredzero wrote: post #29

- Smallest unit of code is the function. - Able to get instant feedback on code changes. - Multiple editors with just one function in it. Show code in an "area of concern" not just in a file. - The coding environment can show also results, app windows, graphics, other tools. - Can save the configuration of the above. Smalltalkers have been doing this in commercial projects since the 80's. If only we could have commun…

what smalltalk didn't quite do is the instantaneous view of the results of your code changes. Seeing the result of your changes in Light Table is like updating a cell in a spreadsheet. Smalltalk (I'm guessing), would involve switching to the executing window or hitting a play/continue button. A subtle difference, but it takes the immediacy to the next level.

Re: Light Table - a new IDE concept

#222

Post by tbatterii »

katabatic wrote: post #188
tbatterii wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Really? iOS has very effectively abstracted away the filesystem at a consumer level." the operative phrase is "for consumers", I'm not going to be programming on an IPad ever.

Did you even read my comment?

yep :)

Re: Light Table - a new IDE concept

#223

Post by msutherl »

mgunes wrote: post #179
stcredzero wrote: post #29

- Smallest unit of code is the function. - Able to get instant feedback on code changes. - Multiple editors with just one function in it. Show code in an "area of concern" not just in a file. - The coding environment can show also results, app windows, graphics, other tools. - Can save the configuration of the above. Smalltalkers have been doing this in commercial projects since the 80's. If only we could have commun…

Field ( http://openendedgroup.com/field ) is a modern programming environment that embraces most (if not all) of these principles.

As always, the multi-media programming environments are miles ahead and nobody knows about them. Field is amazing. Max/MSP, Pd, et al. are a different paradigm altogether, but have had live editing, documentation a click away, etc. and have been in heavy use for 20+ years.

Re: Light Table - a new IDE concept

#226

Post by blake_ »

kristianp wrote: post #221
stcredzero wrote: post #29

- Smallest unit of code is the function. - Able to get instant feedback on code changes. - Multiple editors with just one function in it. Show code in an "area of concern" not just in a file. - The coding environment can show also results, app windows, graphics, other tools. - Can save the configuration of the above. Smalltalkers have been doing this in commercial projects since the 80's. If only we could have commun…

what smalltalk didn't quite do is the instantaneous view of the results of your code changes. Seeing the result of your changes in Light Table is like updating a cell in a spreadsheet. Smalltalk (I'm guessing), would involve switching to the executing window or hitting a play/continue button. A subtle difference, but it takes the immediacy to the next level.

No, it was, is or at least can be, instantaneous where that makes sense.

Re: Light Table - a new IDE concept

#227

Post by jamieb »

ibdknox wrote: post #112
hollerith wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably the people who mentioned kickstarter tend to think kickstarter for ideas without large profit potential, and unless you also sell a software-deployment platform (like Microsoft and Apple do) tools for programmers does not IMHO have large profit potential.

I'm not sure I agree. Textmate made a crap ton of money, companies like JetBrains and DevExpress have made very successful businesses building dev tools. And while you mention MSFT as building a platform, if VS alone can make a billion, even without a platform I suspect you could do quite well.

Would you mind me asking how long it took you to develop that demo?

Re: Light Table - a new IDE concept

#228

Post by bjcy »

robomartin wrote: post #124

For years I've been bothered by the fact that we still use ASCII text-based documents to program. Having spent a good deal of time programing in APL, a language that uses symbols extensively, I'd like to think that I saw just how different things could be. Having said that, every time I've looked into graphical programming paradigms they almost always seem to fall apart or get in the way of translating ideas and thou…

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on LabVIEW, if you've ever used it: http://www.ni.com/labview/.

It's a graphical programming language with an emphasis on system design (for scientists and engineers) that uses a dataflow paradigm (amongst other things) and has a unique UI creation system.

(Disclaimer: I work for National Instruments and my comments here in no way reflect the views of National Instruments and yadda yadda.)

Re: Light Table - a new IDE concept

#229

Post by jamie_ca »

mmc wrote: post #90
gfodor wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not in this thread. This is Light Table's moment to shine, don't want to clog it up with such a derail.

Then do it somewhere else and point here, please? Another comment mentioned version control, which is a very important thing to get right, and I don't know how I'd diff two Self workspaces, for example... What other sticking points are there?

Squeak smalltalk (among others I'm sure) has had version control for quite a while in the form of http://wiresong.ca/monticello/

Re: Light Table - a new IDE concept

#230

Post by [deleted] »

ibdknox wrote: post #9
icey wrote: post #3

This is pretty exciting stuff. IIRC ibdknox used to work on Visual Studio when he was at Microsoft.

I did indeed. I used to be the Program Manager for C# and VB in the IDE. :) A number of the ideas presented here started brewing during my time there, but it took me a bit to figure out what the overall abstraction should be. I really love the drafting table parallel - it's especially interesting when you start thinking about what we can do with touch...

[deleted]
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