science

Tactile programming language

Tactile programming language is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tactile programming language rather than just read about it. In short: Tactile programming is the specification, development, interaction with and interpretation of computer programs through a touch-centric interface. It is based on the ideas behind visual programming languages, particularly in the interaction and development of software with visual-graphic, rather than text-based, interpretations which can be "dragged-and-dropped" with a mouse in order to develop the software's functi…

Key takeaways

Tactile programming language belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Tactile programming language to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Tactile programming language from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Tactile programming is the specification, development, interaction with and interpretation of computer programs through a touch-centric interface. It is based on the ideas behind visual programming languages, particularly in the interaction and development of software with visual-graphic, rather than text-based, interpretations which can be "dragged-and-dropped" with a mouse in order to develop the software's functionality. However, tactile programming applies the visual programming paradigm within a touch-centric framework:

the widgets which are dragged-and-dropped to create software programs are expanded to better reflect touch interaction rather than mouse interaction other secondary input devices for software programming may be practically replaced by computer-rendered, virtual visual-graphic equivalents, such as a virtual keyboard. concurrently-running emulator runtimes for same or similar operating systems as the one on which the software-based tactile programming interface resides may be used to test the stability and functionality of code without risk of data or interface loss. At the moment, the only example which exist of tactile programming IDEs is "Visual AgenTalk", which is implemented within AgentSheets. Similar drag and drop programming can be found in the Etoys language (part of Squeak), in Alice and in Scratch.

Notes Tactile Programming: A Unified Manipulation Paradigm Supporting Program Comprehension, Composition and Sharing (1996) Visual AgenTalk Towards Ubiquitous End-User Programming

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tactile programming language

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tactile programming language claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tactile programming language before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tactile programming language ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tactile programming language

In research: Tactile programming language appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Tactile programming language in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Tactile programming language is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Programming language classification, Programming language topic stubs, Touch user interfaces, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tactile programming language outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Tactile programming language in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tactile programming language means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Tactile programming language out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tactile programming language in simple terms?

Why does Tactile programming language matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tactile programming language?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tactile programming language.