Mixed mode programming

• US 10,684,830 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2018
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovation First Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innovation First Incorporated
• Inventors: Mimlitch, III, Robert H., McKenna, Jason R., Pope, Levi K., Pearman, James B., Friez, Timothy S., Copioli, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brophy, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US15/925,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20180285084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/447 Target code generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source

Abstract

A mixed mode programming method permitting users to program with graphical coding blocks and textual code within the same programming tool. The mixed mode preserves the advantages of graphical block programming while introducing textual coding as needed for instructional reasons and/or for functional reasons. Converting a graphical code block or group of blocks to a textual block lets the user see a portion of the textual code in the context of a larger program. Within one programming tool the mixed mode method allows users to learn programming and build purely graphical blocks; then transition into mixed graphical and textual code and ultimately lead to their ability to program in purely textual code. The mixed mode further allows users to program using any combination of drag-and-drop graphical blocks and typed textual code in various forms.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory medium, coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by a computer system, and wherein the program instructions being configured to;

create a single graphical coding environment,

wherein the single graphical coding environment defines a plurality of graphical programming blocks, each graphical programming block, of the plurality of graphical programming blocks, is configured to represent a predefined programming element; and

wherein the single graphical coding environment further defines a coding programming block, the coding programming block is configured to represent a programming block for use in the single graphical coding environment and further configured to use standard textual coding language within the programming block, and

convert and replace, when selected, one or more graphical programming blocks entirely to at least one new coding programming block within the single graphical coding environment, and wherein an equivalent code in the at least one coding programming block identically represents the selected graphical programming blocks in a textual code language;

create a graphical program within the single graphical coding environment in response to user input, wherein the graphical program comprises, in response to the user input, at least one graphical programming block and at least one coding programming block visually represented together within the single graphical coding environment and, wherein the at least one graphical programming block and the at least one coding programming block are further connected to each other in the single graphical coding environment in a manner that visually indicates and physically creates functionality of the graphical program in accordance with the user input and all being maintained within the single graphical coding environment; and

generate an output program based on the graphical program created within the single graphical coding environment, wherein the output program implements the functionality of the graphical program, and wherein the output program when executed, controls either a virtual object or a physical object in accordance with the user defined functionality of the graphical program.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions configured to create the graphical coding environment, further define a set of instructions, stored on the memory, to define a variable edit mode, and wherein one or more of the graphical programming blocks, of the plurality of graphical programming blocks, is configured to include a variable element set by a user activating the variable edit mode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the set of instructions for the peek mode is further configured to create a coding programming block equivalent to the selected graphical programming block, and wherein the coding programming block being accessible to edit with standard textual coding language within the single graphical coding environment.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the program instructions configured to create the graphical coding environment, further define a set of instructions, stored on the memory, to color code two or more graphical programming blocks with different predefined colors within the single graphical coding environment.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the color code set of instructions are further configured to color code the textual programming language in the display window adjacent to the one or more graphical programming blocks such that the color of the textual programming language matches the color of the graphical programming block.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions configured to create the single graphical coding environment, further define a set of instructions, stored on the memory, to define a graphical programming argument block for use in creation of the graphical program, and wherein the graphical programming argument block is configured as a graphical block with an argument segment embedded within the graphical block, and the set of instructions further configured to accept standard textual coding language in the argument segment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions configured to create the single graphical coding environment, further define a set of instructions, stored on the memory, to merge blocks, and wherein the set of instructions to merge blocks being configured to:

automatically add a second coding programming block to a first coding programming block within the single graphical coding environment, defining a merged coding programming block comprising;

both a second standard textual coding language defined by the second coding programming block; and

a first standard textual coding language defined by the first coding programing block.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions to merge blocks being further configured to inset the second standard textual coding language at a positioned within the first standard textual coding language selected by a user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions configured to create the single graphical coding environment, further define a set of instructions, stored on the memory, to identify errors in the coding programming block, and wherein the set of instructions to identify errors being configured to:

check an user defined standard textual coding language within the coding programming block to determine if the output program can properly execute to control either the virtual object or a physical object in accordance with the user defined functionality; and

automatically change the color of the user defined standard textual coding language within the single graphical coding environment when the output program fails to properly execute.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions to identify errors is further configured to change the color of the user defined standard textual coding language prior to the output program being generated.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the single graphical coding environment further includes set of instructions to define a mixed programming mode, and wherein the mixed programming mode is configured to:

create a text programming environment within the single graphical coding environment, wherein the text programming environment defines coding text lines,

receive graphical programming blocks, and

receive standard textual coding language on the coding text lines; and

create the graphical program in response to user input, wherein the graphical program comprises, in response to the user input, at least one graphical programming block and standard textual coding language interconnected in the single graphical coding environment that visually indicates functionality of the graphical program in accordance with the user input.

12. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory medium, coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by a computer system, and wherein the program instructions being configured to;

create a single mixed programming coding environment,

wherein the single mixed programming coding environment defines a plurality of graphical programming blocks, each graphical programming block, of the plurality of graphical programming blocks, is configured to represent a predefined programming element; and

wherein the single mixed programming coding environment includes coding text lines configured to receive standard textual coding language; and

convert and replace, when selected, one or more graphical programming blocks entirely to at least one new coding programming block within the single graphical coding environment, and wherein an equivalent code in the at least one coding programming block identically represents the selected graphical programming blocks in a textual code language;

create a graphical program within the single mixed programming coding environment in response to user input, wherein the graphical program comprises, in response to the user input, at least one graphical programming block and standard textual coding language being visually represented together within the single mixed programming coding environment and being further connected to each other in a manner that visually indicates and physically creates functionality of the graphical program in accordance with the user input and maintained all within the single mixed programming coding environment; and

generate an output program based on the graphical program created within the single mixed programming coding environment, wherein the output program implements the functionality of the graphical program, and

wherein the output program when executed, controls either a virtual object or a physical object in accordance with the user defined functionality of the graphical program.

13. An enhanced graphical user interface coding environment, comprising:

a single graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) window;

at least one or more graphical blocks, representing at least one or more first set of programming instructions visually positioned within the single GUI window;

at least one coding block, representing at least a second set of programming instructions, and visually positioned within the single GUI window and connected to the at least one or more graphical blocks, and wherein the at least second set of programming instructions is different than the one or more first set of programming instructions;

wherein the at least one graphical block and the at least one coding block being visually represented at the same time and at least both together within the single GUI window;

a coding environment function configured to convert and replace one of the one or more graphical blocks entirely to at least one new coding block within the single GUI window, when the one or more graphical blocks are selected and wherein an equivalent code in the at least one new coding block is identical to the selected one or more graphical blocks in a textual code language;

wherein all of the graphical and coding blocks within the single GUI window being further connected to each other at the same time within the single GUI window in a manner to form a set of programming instructions, and wherein the set of programming instructions being configured to compile into a source code program for running by a computer.

14. The enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 13, wherein the at least one coding block is defined to accept textual coding language and wherein the textual coding language within the coding block is interpreted and/or compiled into the source code program.

15. The enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 14, wherein the at least one coding block is compiled is interpreted and/or compiled into the source code program such that a graphical block or coding block before and/or after the at least one coding block and insert the coding block in the proper order.

16. A method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment for the creation of a source code program comprising:

providing a single graphical user interface coding environment with at least one graphical block, representing at least a first set of programming instructions,

providing a code block, representing at least a second set of programming instructions, wherein the at least second set of programming instructions is different than the at least first set of programming instructions, and

visually representing the at least one graphical block and the coding block together within the single graphical user interface coding environment, and connecting the code block to the at least one graphical block at the same time and both within the single graphical user interface coding environment to create a source code program made out of the first and second set of programming instructions, wherein the code block is further defined as being accessible for textual code language editing within the single graphical user interface coding environment;

selecting a graphical block, of the at least one graphical block, and replacing the selected graphical block entirely with a new code block, and visually representing the new code block within the single graphical user interface coding environment, and wherein an equivalent code in the at least one new code block is identical to the selected graphical blocks in a textual code language; and

compiling the source code program.

17. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 16, wherein the one code block is defined to accept textual coding language and wherein the textual coding language within the coding block is interpreted and/or compiled into the source code program.

18. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 16 further comprising:

selecting one or more graphical blocks, of the at least one graphical block; and

peeking at the selected one or more graphical blocks as a visual representation of a code block without converting the selected one or more graphical into a code block.

19. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 18 further comprising converting the selected one or more graphical blocks into a code block.

20. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 19 further comprising:

expressing in different colors different graphical blocks, of the at least one graphical block; and

expressing the text statements defined by the code block of the converted and selected one or more graphical blocks in colors matching the different colors of the different graphical blocks, such that a single text statement, of the text statements, is expressed in one color matching the color of a single graphical block, of the converted and selected one or more graphical blocks.

21. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 20 further comprising:

dragging and dropping a graphical block into a code block; and

automatically converting the graphical block into text statements to create a new code block that incorporates the dragged and dropped graphical block.

22. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 16 further comprising:

providing a tool bar area defined within the single enhanced graphical coding environment, the tool bar area having defined graphical blocks and code blocks;

providing a working area defined within the single enhanced graphical coding environment, the working area permitting the connection of one more graphical blocks and code blocks together to form the program; and

dragging from the toolbar area one or more graphical blocks and code blocks to add the one or more graphical blocks and code blocks to an existing program.

23. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 22, wherein the enhanced graphical coding environment:

automatically detecting work in text statements in a code block and automatically changing the toolbar area to a tool text creation and editing toolbar.

24. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 23, wherein the enhanced graphical coding environment automatically detecting work in text statements in a code block and automatically changing the toolbar area to a textual drag and drop toolbar.

25. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 16 further comprising:

providing graphical blocks and code blocks with an individual toggle feature for collapsing and expanding the contents of the graphical block and code blocks.

26. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 16 further comprising automatically indenting textual statement based on a text coding environment.

27. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 22 further comprising:

dragging and dropping a second code block into a first code block, wherein the first code block is situated in the working area; and

merging the second code block with the first code block to create a new code block in the working area, wherein the new code block is equivalent in text programming statements to the first and second code blocks.

28. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 16 further comprising providing an error indicator to specify a coding error in text statements defined in a code block.

29. The method of operating an enhanced graphical coding environment of claim 28, wherein the error indicator is a color coding of the coding error.