Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site decwrl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ucbvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-viking!wasser
From: wasser@viking.DEC (John A. Wasser)
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: ICON (visual) Programming
Message-ID: <867@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Oct-85 11:26:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.867
Posted: Wed Oct 16 11:26:12 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Oct-85 00:19:47 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 31


> Has anyone out in netland heard of icon oriented languages ?
>		-Steve Sanderson

	Two examples can be found on the Macintosh:

		CHIPWITS (from BrainWorks) is a game where robots are
		programmed by laying out a series of graphic "chips"
		in a fixed size "panel".  The chips represent operations
		as "push a constant on the number stack", "rotate
		45 degrees left" or "feel the square directly in front
		of you and branch if it's a wall".  Chips are connected
		by arrows showing flow of control (conditionals have
		a TRUE arrow and a FALSE arrow).  The programmed robots
		are then sent out into one of a selection of mazes to
		rack up points by eating good things, destroying bad and
		exploring the maze.

		HELIX (from Odesta) is a relational database where
		selection and reporting programs are represented by
		"tiles" that are connected by arrows.  The tiles are
		not limited to a fixed grid like in ChipWits.  I'm
		not as familiar with this program as I have only seen
		it in demonstrations (never used it myself).

		-John A. Wasser

Work address:
ARPAnet:	WASSER%VIKING.DEC@decwrl.ARPA
Usenet:		{allegra,Shasta,decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-viking!wasser
Easynet:	VIKING::WASSER