OT 2000 - tutorial notes

Visual Programming Patterns Workshop (OT 2000)

The visual programming patterns workshop aimed to explore the application of patterns in visual programming as a solution to the scaling up problem in visual environments for textual languages. Design patterns capture and document effective, existing solutions to known problems in software design. Visual programming patterns capture and document the techniques which can then be applied to clarify and simplify the visual representation of connections between components, classes and objects in an object oriented system.

Workshop goals

1. To establish working definitions for visual programming and patterns of visual programming
2. To try to find a common means of expression for visual patterns
3. To look at a commercial visual programming tool
4. To apply simple patterns to a visual programming 'anti-pattern'
5. To explore some visual programming patterns
6. To share experiences and ideas about visual patterns

The workshop involved a series of activities. Initially these were concerned with establishing definitions, in particular to try and find a means of expression for visual patterns. The widely used convention of using some sort of textual template combined with a UML class diagram fragment to represent a pattern is not sufficiently expressive. We aimed to define a "Virtual Visual Machine" (VVM) which can be used for this purpose. The VVM was then used as a tool in activities that explored the potential for visual programming patterns.