Learn Coding by Graphical Programming

Kavita Verma
SiteSonic
Published in
5 min readJun 28, 2019

The developers have been dealing with the complicated codes and compiling task from years due to one simple reason; they did not have an option.

However, the story is different for the developer of today’s world. They have a comparatively easy alternative for the complex coding process; it’s called graphical programming.

So, let’s dive into this programming method and have a look at what exactly is graphical programming along with its essential aspects.

What Exactly Is Graphical Programming?

Graphical Programming, otherwise known as Visual Programming or Visual Programming Language (VPL) is a way of programming which deal with content distribution without a line of code.

In this approach, you replace the codes with text, pictures and other forms of understandable graphics or symbol of physical objects.

Unlike the standard coding procedures, this language makes it possible for the operator to describe the whole process in terms that make sense to humans.

SiteSonic CEO Akram Artoul and his team believe that graphical programming is the most intuitive and the least cumbersome way of creating programs. They say that the approach is a lot more flexible than the previous programming methods, and the new programmer should consider it.

Why use Graphical programming?

The most obvious reason for choosing visual programming is because it’s less complicated. There are minimal or even no codes so you won’t have to worry about learning different languages.

Akram Artoul, CEO of SiteSonic, says that visual programming is an excellent approach as it can eliminate the biggest problem that coder face, the rewriting issue. The simplicity of this programming will make it less complicated and more understandable, so they can edit, replace or perform any other updating without recreating the whole thing.

Further, the language is highly useful for different stages of engineering system design. Graphical programs can help you to translate physical information like vibration, to a visual readout that is easy to understand and use.

Moreover, it also finds its application for gamers as designing gaming environment is much easier and straightforward with a virtual resource.

Apart from the engineering and gaming lines, visual programming also finds its application for enhancing multimedia, business and educational systems.

Getting Started With Visual Programming?

Creating a graphics program may not require much coding, but it needs a deep understanding of colors, visualization, coordinate systems, dimensions and more.

Akram Artoul says that visual programming is not something you can learn it a single day; it will take time to understand the math that you need for creating the elements of this programming language.

The following are some things that you will have to understand for mastering graphical programming.

Coordinate

The graphical programming deals with the creation of designs and shaped directly on the computer screen. Unlike, the artistic painting, these shapes have some rules and system that you have to follow for creating them.

You have to understand the coordinate system of the screen. It is essential to know and identify the point of display that you have to target for creating the required visual.

Pixels

The basic artwork of a graphic or graphical program starts with the arrangement of pixels. They are the miniscule elements of the coordinate system which are responsible for representing the effect you wish to create.

If you take the computer screen as a graph paper, then the pixels are the coincidental point of intersecting reference lines of the coordinate system. It means that all the shapes and dimensions on your screen will work according to the pixels.

Projection Planes

When you are dealing with dimensions and shapes, planes are a crucial element. You have to consider it as the number of planes you are using will have a direct influence on the appearance and rendering of the shape or graphic.

For instance, some part of the program like background can work with flat images while the other like character will need an additional depth to look real. The flat images that you create will work with two planes X and Y planes. You can actualize them by adding depth through light, shades, visual angles and more.

In case of a 3D image, the things get a lot more complicated. These effects will need more crunches and processing. They won’t look flat from a side view, so you have to perform additional tasks for adding tints and tones in such a way that they look realistic even from the sides. The multiple sides have to blend with each other, as well as the background.

Mathematical Skills

Visual programming is a game of number and dimensions, which means you, will need some mathematical skills. Without them, your programming will get limited to just manipulation of colors or creating random objects.

Akram Artoul says that if you want to grow in visual programming, you should attain adequate knowledge of at least trigonometry, Linear Algebra, calculus, and Matrices. They will help you to churn your imagination in attractive and understandable visuals.

Color Control

The pixels that you draw on the screen get mapped into arrays of contiguous memory locations which holds the shade of each pixel. In the simplest form, you will get one bit of memory for each of the pixels. It means that it will be capable of presenting only two colors, white and blacks. It will be simple as you can turn the required pattern into one and the rest will be painted with the other.

However, the same isn’t possible with modern display screens as they support multiple-bit planes for a single color value. For instance, a 24-bit screen will have 3-bit planes with 8-bits each. Each of these groups will produce over 256 colors for a single shade which makes them 16,777,216 shades for standard RGB color scheme.

Now, that is something which will take a little getting-used-to and a lot of effort.

The Final Words

Visual programming is a very innovative and futuristic approach way for simplifying the process of developing complex programs. It can help you to remove the barrier of long messy codes and replace them something that you can understand easily.

At SiteSonic, Akram Artoul and his team treat visual programming as an essential need for the coming times. You can turn to them for active resource and guidance related to this approach.

Additionally, they can also help you with frameworks, webs designs, website development and a lot of other tasks that you need.

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Kavita Verma
SiteSonic

Kavita's world revolves around highly technical sphere! She loves to keep a tab on what's happening in the world of technology.