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I agree. To me the three most powerful pieces of software on a computer are a function, a string, and an array. You can do almost anything with these three appl

I agree. To me the three most powerful pieces of software on a computer are a function, a string, and an array. You can do almost anything with these three applications, but the UIs for them is still utterly atrocious. Whoever designs the first easy-to-use version of this trip will unlock a massive amount of creative potential.

oblio 10y ago
It probably wouldn't register on your radar for "creativity" but the first killer app for PCs was an application of the "list" or "table": spreadsheets (https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2012/01/06/how-trello-is-different/ https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2012/01/06/how-trello-is-diff...). The spreadsheet was a major move forward for unlocking creative potential. A part of that probably brought us the financial crysis of 2007-2008, but nobody can complain that it wasn't creative :p
- erikpukinskis 10y ago
  Columns are nice but without functions they don't really rise to the level of arrays. And the UI for Excel functions is probably one of the worst interfaces for functions we have. Also Excel clouds the ergonomics of the lists and functions by duplicating common functionality in bespoke UI and littering it everywhere so it's not a very natural path from using a function through the UI to using it in another function. Also Excel columns add weird semantics by putting every column in the same rowspace. Also arrays have names. Columns are usually just numbered. In other words: yes, spreadsheets are the most useful end-user programming tool we have, but it has so much extra junk layered on top of it it's nigh unlearnable. And it's not a starting point, it's a dead end. An EUP environment built on a spreadsheet is a car built from horse parts. A well designed array UI would have the semantics of an actual modern array. Push, pop, each, etc. A well designed function UI the same. And both need to be presented clearly without distraction to count as a "good UI" in my book.

oblio 10y ago

It probably wouldn't register on your radar for "creativity" but the first killer app for PCs was an application of the "list" or "table": spreadsheets (https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2012/01/06/how-trello-is-different/ https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2012/01/06/how-trello-is-diff...). The spreadsheet was a major move forward for unlocking creative potential. A part of that probably brought us the financial crysis of 2007-2008, but nobody can complain that it wasn't creative :p

erikpukinskis 10y ago
Columns are nice but without functions they don't really rise to the level of arrays. And the UI for Excel functions is probably one of the worst interfaces for functions we have. Also Excel clouds the ergonomics of the lists and functions by duplicating common functionality in bespoke UI and littering it everywhere so it's not a very natural path from using a function through the UI to using it in another function. Also Excel columns add weird semantics by putting every column in the same rowspace. Also arrays have names. Columns are usually just numbered. In other words: yes, spreadsheets are the most useful end-user programming tool we have, but it has so much extra junk layered on top of it it's nigh unlearnable. And it's not a starting point, it's a dead end. An EUP environment built on a spreadsheet is a car built from horse parts. A well designed array UI would have the semantics of an actual modern array. Push, pop, each, etc. A well designed function UI the same. And both need to be presented clearly without distraction to count as a "good UI" in my book.