> The tools to build a known specification from an existing app are sub-optimal, as are the tools to build a known specification from scratch. That actually re

> The tools to build a known specification from an existing app are sub-optimal, as are the tools to build a known specification from scratch. That actually reinforces my point ;-) All the steps in the toolchain could benefit from more agile interactions, allowing the programmer to spend less time fiddling with syntax errors and recalling which functions need to be applied in what order, and more time evaluating and fixing errors in the current logic as written. That would expose what the build program is doing and how it differs from the expected intent. The online notebooks used in data analysis (Jupyter, Apache Zeppelin) are a step in the right direction; IMHO their approach of 'data is always readable besides the code processing it' makes for a better introspection infrastructure than the REPL loops of old.