unit
impulse
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unit | impulse | |
---|---|---|
12 | 24 | |
2,491 | 445 | |
- | 1.3% | |
9.7 | 2.5 | |
4 days ago | 5 months ago | |
TypeScript | TypeScript | |
MIT License | MIT License |
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unit
- Unit – Next Generation Visual Programming System
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Visual Node Graph with ImGui
https://github.com/samuelmtimbo/unit recently, which at least uses some kind of hinted auto-layout (besides the more propriety fancy)
I really want to see more graphical coding for years, but node/graph-based and blockly seem to be the only approaches that got sone traction so far. So I like this thread and it seems at the right place.
I'd wish to see
- Next Generation Visual Programming System
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Unit (Visual Programming System) [video]
Interesting, and clearly a lot of work's gone into this (60,000 lines of Typescript), particularly the UI, which is impressive (if, sometimes, over the top). I've been developing a similar system (http://www.fmjlang.co.uk/fmj/tutorials/TOC.html) and it's interesting to note the similarities and differences.
Similarities: code as directed graphs (less obvious in FMJ); can only connect outputs to units of compatible type; if and wait (looping is handled differently); sticky values; sliders. These design decisions are practically forced on you, but are often absent in earlier visual dataflow languages (e.g. Prograph, LabVIEW).
Differences: (1) inputs are named in Unit, ordered in FMJ (though they're named in formulas and edges can be labelled). (2) I experimented with automatic code layout but found this was too slow and not always what I wanted. Well done for getting this to work. (3) FMJ is now fully homoiconic - this maybe isn't a priority for Unit.
The Unit design philosophy is explained in https://github.com/samuelmtimbo/unit/blob/main/src/docs/conc... . This doesn't mention earlier approaches (e.g. the Manchester Dataflow Computer, Prograph) and it seems to be based on vaguely similar ideas developed more recently (Morrison's Flow Based programming; possibly React and similar systems for web development - I'm unfamiliar with these).
I have a number of questions:
(1) How does the type system work? Is it Dependently typed, Hindley-Milner, or something more basic? (FMJ is Hindley-Milner, with dependent typing partially implemented). How are new types be defined?
(2) How is the visual representation stored? One criticism I faced was that people wanted a readable textual representation which would work well with existing version control systems, a problem I have now largely solved.
(3) How are runtime errors handled?
(4) Is recursion supported? (I assume yes, but I didn't see any examples.) What about macros?
(5) What does Unit compile to? (FMJ has an experimental compiler where programs are compiled by running their source without evaluating their inputs, output is Lisp.)
- Unit.land
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A personal history of visual programming environments (2021)
I enjoyed reading this. I knew of quartz composer but I never did anything with it.
I love visual tools and I think they are underutilized today. I cut my teeth in ~2005 with Houdini[0] and Fusion[1] which are both heavily graph / node based (and procedural).
Most recently I have been rekindling my love for visual programming and flow based programming and plan to spend some time in January and February doing more research around flow based programming for infrastructure management.
I plan to get this sort of info published on my website which I have neglected for half a decade or more but if you are interested in visual programming you might enjoy checking these out:
Unit from Samuel Timbó:
https://github.com/samuelmtimbo/unit
https://ioun.it/
A video of me exploring what I figured out about it (while also learning to stream) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwknTfGVDq8
Behave-Graph from Ben Houston:
https://github.com/bhouston/behave-graph
And the products I learned so long ago
[0] Houdini https://www.sidefx.com/products/houdini/
[1] Fusion https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/fusion
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Ask HN: More “experimental“ UIs for editing/writing code?
https://github.com/samuelmtimbo/unit
- A code drawn in unit is simply a Directed Graph.
- Programming can be partially performed by Gesture and by Voice.
- Unit: Next Generation Visual Programming Platform
impulse
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Show HN: I made CSS Pro, a re-imagined Devtools for web design
I you use Tailwind and React, you might like Impulse[1] (disclaimer: I made it and use it almost daily)
Not only does it provide means for visual editing (for Tailwind only), but it also saves all changes to your code.
Free and open source.
[1] https://impulse.dev/
- Launched Supertweak - a visual editor chrome extension for Tailwind websites
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How I launched Impulse.dev
I've been working exclusively on this project for half a year and... I don't really know where it's going. One of the primary goals from the beginning was to make a product I could use for most of my UI work. And oh my God, have I achieved that. Having used Impulse regularly for months (including designing Impulse itself and impulse.dev), I can't imagine going back.
- Show HN: Impulse – React UI editor that edits your code
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What is the best way to notify the React and Tailwind community about the new tool?
You can look at a few demo videos on the website https://impulse.dev/
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Impulse – Impossible Dev Tools for React and Tailwind
Trying to design some elements intuitively, just by setting classes and seeing how it looks; also prototyping. With Impulse, I can just cycle through all possible font-sizes / margins / paddings / shades of a color / you name it. I've designed the whole impulse.dev website with that approach and I don't wanna go back, it's just so much faster and fun even compared to writing code on two monitors with 10 years of experience. :D
- Show HN: Impulse – Impossible Dev Tools for React and Tailwind
What are some alternatives?
vue-flow - A highly customizable Flowchart component for Vue 3. Features seamless zoom & pan 🔎, additional components like a Minimap 🗺 and utilities to interact with state and graph.
BetterJoy - Allows the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, Joycons and SNES controller to be used with CEMU, Citra, Dolphin, Yuzu and as generic XInput
lisperanto - Lisperanto is a spatial canvas for programming; Lisperanto is a spatial canvas for knowledge; Lisperanto is a spatial canvas for ideas;
ODS_OpenExposureData - Open data standards curated by Oasis.
nodezator - A multi-purpose visual node editor for the Python programming language
Lazy - Lazily evaluated (late-binding) definition for Dyalog APL
metadesk
awesome-structure-editors - A list of projectional and structural editors
TextToTalk - Chat TTS plugin for Dalamud. Has support for triggers/exclusions, several TTS providers, and more!
newspeak - Newspeak is a live object-capability language in the Smalltalk tradition
halo - An experimental graph-based meta programming language