Coding interactively without having to restart a procedure
Disclosed is an improved approach to implement software programming which allows for interactive coding without having to restart a procedure. This is implemented using a combination of an interpreter which allows for modification of code during runtime using an interactive console and a versioned memory system used by the interpreter to roll-back memory to a previous state of execution.
1 . A method, comprising:
running a sequence of steps for a procedure within a software program, wherein running the sequence of steps creates a set of data in computer memory;
displaying the sequence of steps within a user interface and receiving an instruction from a user to undo a step from the sequence of steps;
undoing the step within the sequence of steps, wherein a natural language interpreter ignores a version of a value created by the step that was undone; and
generating a result from the procedure within the software program without restarting the sequence of steps, wherein the procedure continues executing steps forward from a location in the sequence of step from which the step was undone.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer memory is implemented as a versioned memory system, and the versioned memory system comprises a vertex chain corresponding to a list having a temporal order for a name and a corresponding value for the name.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the vertex chain maintains a historical record of values for a given name.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein a context and a specific step are maintained for a value.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the value is scratched if a corresponding step is undone.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer memory is rolled back to a previous state of execution.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a user interface is provided that identifies one or more commands that have been executed which are selectable to be undone, and where selection of a command to be undone causes a version of a value for the command to be ignored.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the software program corresponds to a natural language program.
9 . A non-transitory computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs:
running a sequence of steps for a procedure within a software program, wherein running the sequence of steps creates a set of data in computer memory;
displaying the sequence of steps within a user interface and receiving an instruction from a user to undo a step from the sequence of steps;
undoing the step within the sequence of steps, wherein a natural language interpreter ignores a version of a value created by the step that was undone; and
generating a result from the procedure within the software program without restarting the sequence of steps, wherein the procedure continues executing steps forward from a location in the sequence of step from which the step was undone.
10 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer memory is implemented as a versioned memory system, and the versioned memory system comprises a vertex chain corresponding to a list having a temporal order for a name and a corresponding value for the name.
11 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the vertex chain maintains a historical record of values for a given name.
12 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein a context and a specific step are maintained for a value.
13 . The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the value is scratched if a corresponding step is undone.
14 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer memory is rolled back to a previous state of execution.
15 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein a user interface is provided that identifies one or more commands that have been executed which are selectable to be undone, and where selection of a command to be undone causes a version of a value for the command to be ignored.
16 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the software program corresponds to a natural language program.
17 . A system, comprising:
a processor;
a memory for holding programmable code; and
wherein the programmable code includes instructions for: running a sequence of steps for a procedure within a software program, wherein running the sequence of steps creates a set of data in computer memory; displaying the sequence of steps within a user interface and receiving an instruction from a user to undo a step from the sequence of steps; undoing the step within the sequence of steps, wherein a natural language interpreter ignores a version of a value created by the step that was undone; and generating a result from the procedure within the software program without restarting the sequence of steps, wherein the procedure continues executing steps forward from a location in the sequence of step from which the step was undone.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the computer memory is implemented as a versioned memory system, and the versioned memory system comprises a vertex chain corresponding to a list having a temporal order for a name and a corresponding value for the name.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the vertex chain maintains a historical record of values for a given name.
20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein a context and a specific step are maintained for a value.
21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the value is scratched if a corresponding step is undone.
22 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the computer memory is rolled back to a previous state of execution.
23 . The system of claim 17 , wherein a user interface is provided that identifies one or more commands that have been executed which are selectable to be undone, and where selection of a command to be undone causes a version of a value for the command to be ignored.
24 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the software program corresponds to a natural language program.