3 ms·

basically if you have a bunch of code blocks that depend on each others' results - you don't have to remember which ones to update if you changed one, it will u

basically if you have a bunch of code blocks that depend on each others' results - you don't have to remember which ones to update if you changed one, it will update automatically. especially useful with data visualization/exploration, but also helps a lot if you have a complex sequence where it's easy to get lost and forget to recompute something. there's a youtube link in the comments here which explains a lot.

maksimum 9y ago
> you don't have to remember which ones to update if you changed one, it will update automatically. Although I see how that would enable rapid iteration and make e.g. creating nice visualizations much easier, I don't think it should be mandatory. The user may want to control the state their notebook and variables are in manually.
- hk__2 9y ago
  > The user may want to control the state their notebook and variables are in manually. Can you share an example where you’d want that behavior? Spreadsheet cells don’t ask you when they update themselves.
  - mkesper 9y ago
    There's an option for that. It's needed if your spreadsheet is too big / your calculations are too expensive.
    - hk__2 9y ago
      Thanks; that’s good to know!
- seanmcdirmid 9y ago
  Isn't that like saying you want to control your execution manually? Basically, this just get rids of the manual refresh button that would be required to sync pieces of dependent computations after code or data changes somewhere. It is as if the graphics were running in immediate mode being refreshed completely on every frame (a common goal for live programming systems).