Visual Programmer

By Peg Byers

Part I: Background and Job Description

Programmers have the greatest income potential and career longevity of anyone in the information technology (IT) field. In the past, coding for older, large systems required programmers to know details about resource usage such as memory and storage capacity for their software to run. This meant that programmers not only authored the code but also continually tested for possible changes to computer hardware or operations. These early programs were long, complex, and if not adequately commented (explained), difficult for later programmers to maintain, optimize (improve efficiency), or upgrade. Although systems were designed for users, these users rarely had input into planning for new software used to perform their jobs. Training of new users was tedious because programmers and users rarely spoke similar "languages." Users discussed business processes that were not clear to programmers. Programmers spoke in technical jargon not often comprehensible to users. The two camps were rarely synchronous.

“Programmers no longer design systems in a "vacuum" without user input or approval of the software products developed. ”

With the dawning of Windows and its graphical user interface (GUI) for business systems, the communication gap narrowed. This allowed users of new systems to "visually appreciate" what programmers could really do to help them work more efficiently. Programmers with a grasp of a department or company "workflow" could quickly deliver the necessary tools to the users.

Today visual programmers design business systems for workers to use at their PCs in the office, on the road, or even telecommuting via the Internet. This change brought the advent of teams of system analysts, visual programmers, technical writers, trainers, and project managers.

These "project teams" may contract services to the client firm or may be full time employees of departments inside one company. Analysts review and document the current workflow. Visual programmers design prototype "screens" for each part of that process using any one of many software packages. Once management approves the prototype with changes or additions, programmers develop the actual "robust" software application for users. Technical writers author software documentation and often user training materials. Trainers provide "hands-on" education. This interactive team approach using visual programming software to design systems is called the Joint Application Development (JAD) and/or Rapid Application Development (RAD) process. Programmers no longer design systems in a "vacuum" without user input or approval of the software products developed.

Contributions from the human factors field (a combination of adult learning psychology and system ergonomics) showed that adults work faster using pictures.

They comprehend visually programmed images better than "command language" in order to efficiently use computers. Users control the "program flow" by the choices they make via menus, icons, and other visual tools. Visual programmers determine colors, text/icon size and shape, and the number of items displayed to users.

After user approval of these decisions, programmers write and test the code running "behind the pictures" to mechanize the business application. This is in sharp contrast to programming of the past.

Visual Basic, Visual FoxPro, Visual C++, Smalltalk, and Java are just a few of the object-based or object-oriented programming "applications" that allow programmers to depend on the resource management of the operating system (Windows) or other environments where they run. Object-based languages, such as Visual Basic, are structured programming languages in which blocks of code execute only when the user acts on pictured tools. Object-oriented languages, such as Java, allow objects to operate independently of each other regardless of the environment. Communication within and between objects is accomplished via programmer coded messages. Commenting (explanations) within these visually programmed applications is still necessary. However, programmers can "see" what the application does in order to correct or enhance it. This is one of many benefits of visual programming.