Posts tagged Author: Leif Andersen

Introducing Visual and Interactive-Syntax realized (VISr) for ClojureScript (and JavaScript)

:: visr, clojure, clojurescript, interactive syntax

By: Leif Andersen

Visual and interactive-syntax is a type of language-oriented programming that allows developers to use, view, and edit portions of a textual program with graphics. Using interactive-syntax provides the benefits of a graphical programming language, while keeping all of the benefits of a purely textual language. For example, the following is an example of a small network embedded in a program:

Graphical network embedded in text

Graphical network embedded in text

Interactive-syntax is backed by human readable code; the visual components exists purely when writing and editing code. This backing means all of the tools involved in software development work with interactive-syntax extensions. For example:

  • version control, such as git, works with interactive-syntax;
  • programs using interactive-syntax can be written and edited with your favorite text editor or IDE;
  • cut/copy/paste works with interactive-syntax using your operating system’s native clipboard;
  • code analysis tools, like diff and refactor, still work with interactive-syntax; and
  • you can use interactive-syntax in any language or environment that supports language-oriented programming.

To learn more about interactive-syntax, watch this video or read the accompanying paper.

VISr (Visual and Interactive-Syntax realized) for ClojureScript is a practical implementation of interactive-syntax in web browsers. The VISr environment is a full-featured IDE that supports interactive-syntax components called VISrs. Additionally, the VISr environment comes with a package manager that supports NPM packages.

This article is a brief introduction to both the VISr environment and the components that make up a VISrs. It discusses how to insert a VISr into code, how to manipulate a VISr, and how to create a new types of VISr. Future articles will discuss more advanced uses such as integrating NPM packages and using VISrs in other languages.

Racket 6.9 and Windows 10 Creators Update

:: racket, windows, bugs

By: Leif Andersen

Racket 6.9 was released in April and it has been smooth sailing for many people. However, some people using the Windows 10 Creators Update have been experiencing crashes, not just for Racket, but for the whole operating system. This is due to a bug in Windows. We have contacted Microsoft; they have classified the bug as (1) a stack overflow and (2) not a security hazard, and intend to add a fix in a future version of Windows.

The next version of Racket will include a patch to help avoid triggering the bug. Until then, one work-around is to run Racket in a virtual machine (VM). This blog post is a step-by-step guide on how to install a VM for Racket.

A VirtualBox image with Racket preinstalled can be downloaded here:

The username and password for this machine are both racket.