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Ask Slashdot: Is There a Way To Write Working Code By Drawing Flow Charts?
Slashdot reader dryriver writes:
There appear to be two main ways to write code today. One is with text-based languages ranging from BASIC to Python to C++. The other is to use a flow-based or dataflow programming-based visual programming language where you connect boxes or nodes with lines. What I have never (personally) come across is a way to program by drawing classical vertical (top to bottom) flow charts. Is there a programming environment that lets you do this...?
There are software tools that can turn, say, C code into a visual flow chart representation of said C code. Is there any way to do the opposite -- draw a flowchart, and have that flowchart turn into working C code?
Leave your best answers in the comments.
There are software tools that can turn, say, C code into a visual flow chart representation of said C code. Is there any way to do the opposite -- draw a flowchart, and have that flowchart turn into working C code?
Leave your best answers in the comments.
It's no joke. LEGO Mindstorms comes with a graphical flowchart-like language using LabVIEW to write programs. Of course, the system is hideously slow and inefficient compared to text and with EV3 the brick runs Linux so you can easily dump it for Python, C++ or whatever you like.
LabVIEW itself is also used for instrumental programming in some labs although I expect it is rather slow so its applications will be somewhat limited. I've never used it myself in particle physics but I believe some of my condensed matter colleagues use it as a slow control system for commercial instruments.