I would use a visual programming language in a heartbeat if it provided a first-rate environment for solving problems that I care about. Here are some challeng

I would use a visual programming language in a heartbeat if it provided a first-rate environment for solving problems that I care about. Here are some challenges that need to be overcome: 1/ I agree that the inertia of history is against visual systems. There's a lot of catch-up required to reach parity. 2/ People get comfortable and are often reluctant to adopt something new, especially when it's a big change. 3/ Text files provide a simple program representation, a format that's standard across languages. I don't know of a comparable data format that might work across visual languages. E.g., we need something that supports good diffs in a language-agnostic way. 4/ There's perception that a visual language needs to be programmed with a mouse, and that it would cater to beginners but not experts. I see no reason why I shouldn't manipulate visual elements with keyboard shortcuts and will use anything that helps me get the job done better. 5/ There's a perception that programming in a visual language will be slower, but I don't think that need be the case. When I write software using a powerful IDE I often feel pretty far removed from the experience of writing a text file. There's a sensation of taking abstractions out of my head and putting them into the computer, with the text-file being a rather ancillary element in the programming / runtime environment as a whole. My feeling is that the text file has come to be limiting and I'd love to see other formats emerge.