I can tell you where in my opinion visual programming works (or can work if anyone actually bothered), but you probably not gonna like it. First step is to thi

I can tell you where in my opinion visual programming works (or can work if anyone actually bothered), but you probably not gonna like it. First step is to think about IDE assisted programming as a proto visual programming. Second step is to have a real DSL, not just some general purpose programming language with some extra words sprinkled that sort of look like a DSL, but you can easily escape. Visual programming tools that aims to do the job of general purpose programming language is kinda doomed from the start in my opinion. Here's a snag - how many DSL languages do you know that have intelligent IDE support? Designing a good DSL language is kinda hard in the first place. I know of many, but they are called XML languages, deal-breaker for many. XProc can work as an underlying language for such a visual programming tool, with a good XML schema enabled IDE or editor such as OxygenXML you won't even work with XML as most see it, it's not really text anymore. Dropdown menus in a representation of a tree, that's what it becomes. There were at least two attempts to create an actual visual programming tool on the base of XProc, most advanced was this one https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-4382 https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-4382