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LabView does something very similar to this by "wiring up" code modules.
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It was done 50 years ago - a programming language called AMBIT/G.
- Dennis
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"because it's probably never been done before"
As people here have noted "it HAS been done before".
Labview (1986)
Borland Object Vision (1990)
Scratch (2002)
And many others ...
The real question is "Why do these non-verbal programming tools never take off?".
And: "Why can't I program in Emojis?"
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This is the most bizarre thing I've ever come across clicky[^]
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I may be missing something, but what is the difference to UML tools like RationalRose, or EnterpriseArchitect, that can both generate code from diagrams and diagrams from code?
Also, Eclipse has a built-in UML editor/generator that works great for Java (not so great for C++)
List of Unified Modeling Language tools - Wikipedia[^]
GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto)
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Google made a similar tool for developing Java apps on android a few years ago called "App Inventor". This looks quite a bit like that did.
It was indeed abandoned by Google.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
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A company called Steeplechase Software (the name has been changed since they were bought out by another company) actually compiled code from a flow diagram. The diagram was used to define the control flow for Programmable Logic Controllers.
Someone who understood Ladder Logic but had no idea about programming could actually get the code generated by his flow diagram. The idea was to replace several Programmable Logic Controllers with a PC.
The company could convince major automobile manufacturers to buy the product.
So there goes the average programmer's belief that only they could write industrial-strength code.
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As others have pointed out - and as you surmised - graphical/diagramatical/flow programming isn't anything new, and has been tried in many variations in the past - and present. But don't let that stop you; maybe you'll come up with a new concept or way to get around certain issues all of those have suffered from.
Way back at the beginning of Java - before it was popular and widely used - there was a graphical language for it, called (IIRC) "Java Beans" - which had nothing to do with what are today known as "Java Beans"! Basically, various nodes each contained executable code, and parameters and i/o were passed via links between nodes.
Another long-lived and widely used system of a similar nature is LabView. Someone else mentioned Simulink.
There's also Max - aimed at musicians: Max (software) - Wikipedia[^]
Octoblu is in IoT platform by Citrix [^] that has it's own drag-and-drop, connect the nodes, add code, etc - designer software. It's actually pretty amazing (before they were acquired by Citrix, they were a startup here in the Phoenix area hacking on this stuff).
So all I can say is have fun with this! And to answer your direct question, yes, there have been similar times for myself - and probably every software developer - where an idea was come up with that was seemingly outlandish or crazy, but needed to be tried. Heck, I would imagine that's how many of the breakthroughs are accomplished. Good luck with your project!
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I help manage my accountant's network for his place of business and sometimes I have to install new accounting software for him. Last weekend I attempted to install an application that required SQL Server 2014 Express on his file server, but ended up with problems during the install. I had to install it on a new server that wasn't apart of the DNS yet, so for a short term fix, I edited his hosts file on his workstation (Windows 10). It will be this weekend before I can fix the DNS, so the hosts file should work fine until then. Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, performs an update to his workstation. The update deletes the hosts file and blocks access to the directory where it had resided. The administrator account no longer has access. This being on a Tuesday, I had no time to go and try to fix it, so he's out of luck until Saturday. Why would Microsoft do that? 
I'm thinking at this point to recommend he roll back all of his workstations to Windows 7. Windows 10 has become a plague.
When you are dead, you won't even know that you are dead. It's a pain only felt by others.
Same thing when you are stupid.
modified 19-Nov-21 21:01pm.
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Win7 will remain on my machine until I retire, and then I'll move to Linux. I use my HOSTS file to redirect ad sites to 0.0.0.0.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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Ditto on all points!, except replace retire with die!
New version: WinHeist Version 2.2.2 Beta I told my psychiatrist that I was hearing voices in my head. He said you don't have a psychiatrist!
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For me, since my retirement plan involves winning the lottery big time, die and retire are synonymous (except for an approximately 1 in 300,000,000 chance)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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I believe the chances of dying are a lot better, or worse depending on how you view it than winning the loottery. (sp. intentional)
New version: WinHeist Version 2.2.2 Beta I told my psychiatrist that I was hearing voices in my head. He said you don't have a psychiatrist!
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Ditto here also.
I have a friend who's been coding windows software for decades. He told me the other day he's had enough of MS - he's just bought himself a mac and he's moving to Swift.
I can't blame him.
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Donathan.Hutchings wrote: The administrator account no longer has access.
This is unacceptable behaviour from every OS. By definition the Administrator can, and that's that.
DURA LEX, SED LEX
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
When I was six, there were no ones and zeroes - only zeroes. And not all of them worked. -- Ravi Bhavnani
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Odd. But, you can still edit the hosts file. Launch Notepad "Run as administrator" and you can edit the file and save it.
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Tried that. Error comes up says "Access denied."
When you are dead, you won't even know that you are dead. It's a pain only felt by others.
Same thing when you are stupid.
modified 19-Nov-21 21:01pm.
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Install Win7. Problem solved!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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Forogar wrote: Install Win7. Problem solved!
Agreed. After this fiasco, I believe my accountant will agree that this is the best. This does mean a lot of work for me for the next few weekends.
When you are dead, you won't even know that you are dead. It's a pain only felt by others.
Same thing when you are stupid.
modified 19-Nov-21 21:01pm.
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Have you tired taking ownership of the file?
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The file no longer exists. It was deleted from the drivers\etc folder. I had a backup copy of it and tried to put it back. I tried creating a new one with no luck even as administrator.
When you are dead, you won't even know that you are dead. It's a pain only felt by others.
Same thing when you are stupid.
modified 19-Nov-21 21:01pm.
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Take ownership of its directory?
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Right-click the file, and give yourself full permissions (there may be a "Take Ownership" option, but, if necessary, go into the file's Properties window and click through to where you can change or disable permission inheritance on the file for your user name/type -- I think it's Properties > Security > Advanced, but I'm not on winio, here).
They must have done this for one of three reasons:
0: Because something they have changed in the OS has stuffed up the ability to use a hosts file.
1: Because modifying the hosts file is one of the ways used to prevent forced updates.
2: Because they've made a deal with advertising companies.
Under normal circumstances, I'd assume it's not option 1, because the hosts file deletion is part of an update, which means that updates aren't blocked -- but it's present-day ms we're talking about; God only knows what illogical lunacy goes through their addled brains, these days (and even He's not sure).
One thing that is absolutely certain is that they have no right whatsoever to interfere with the owner-added content of hosts files. That is company-admin-level security; they should keep their noses out and their hands off.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Good idea Mark, I'll try that. 
When you are dead, you won't even know that you are dead. It's a pain only felt by others.
Same thing when you are stupid.
modified 19-Nov-21 21:01pm.
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