Glossary » end-user programming

end-user programming

programming that is done by a software user who is not a programmer, presumably without any specific training in programming. The idea is to make the power of computers fully accessible to all users so that they are not limited to the capabilities of the software they are provided, and to do this by creating a user interface to programming which makes programming easier.

Many approaches to end-user programming have been tried, including many macro languages and scripting languages. Some common approaches include:

• visual programming – providing a visual interface to programming, such as with dataflow diagrams, flowcharts, or screen-layout systems
• natural-language syntax – making the programming language look more like a spoken human language (e.g. Cobol and HyperTalk tried this strategy)
• forms-based programming – using forms and dialogs (such as wizards) to create a program
• programming by demonstration – letting users perform their tasks and inferring programs that correspond to them