visual programming language
visual 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)