I looked at the picture and wondered..
I read the text below it..
I read that web-page and wondered even more...

I still don't have _any_ clue for what this program is written for...

Am I stupid?

I think it's the code red virus.

If I understand well, that's a "new" way to code C++, not text based, but "tree" based, where you add branches depending on what you're trying to do... sorry I can hardly explain what I think...

It looks to me like a model of the structure of the program. Maybe generated from the code. I don't think it generates code, but is generated based on the code as a representation.

It looks like a visual analogy for the dependencies in a project. I suppose it allows you to change dependencies and API layers by simply moving branches around. I think. Pretty cool stuff, though I think I will think with the File and ClassBrowser in VC++ for now :)

Woops, I meant "stick with VC++ for now" :)

One question : How does frames per second make sense for viewing a static model? Weird.

Very nice !

Seems to be something like ERD for c++ - module dependencies...

Well the rendering looks cool but i still dont quite understand what it is. Is it like a visual representation of a program like a 3d flowchart or something?

-SirKnight

It's 3 stick people fighting over a fishing pole, I used to play this game on my Lynx.

Hiro - I'm still wondering why people choose nicknames from their favourite book/film/blablah... :)

Do you really want to be someone else, or is it just to show people you've read SnowCrash ? :)

I mean, we've got millions of Neo's since Matrix :)

Maybe it's a *cough* reference to a certain show on *cough* cartoon network *cough cough*...(one which greatly annoys me for that matter)

Surely by mentioning Neil Stephensons Snow Crash, you're as bad as he is at name dropping. Damn! Now I'm doing it.

Muhahahaha :)

Why not? Should be quite relevant for any application that displays real-time generated graphics.

people who have "Neo" as their nick are secretly screaming out their gay love for Keanu (duuuude!) Reeves.

I tried your program a few days ago but was not able to produce anything.. anyway I think the idea of graphically represant your code is really interesting.. maybe a mouse roll over items may display the corresponding code or name given to item ?

A way to group multiple items into one may also be usefull to keep a simple representation.. 3D is a powerful but "dangerous" way for complex structures representation..

I would be proud to help you if you wish..

..oh, and I'm french too ;-)

Alexis.

BUSTED !!! Haha

I wouldn't agree that you've created an intuitive approach to programmation. But nice project.

Every once in a while a project comes along that makes me think: "WTF?"

Those are the best of all. Very cool.


--Derek

lol, sounds like a fun game. :) Thats what id software should be making right now instead of DOOM. :)

-SirKnight

I have ran your project and am beginning to understand what it is that your are trying to do. However I can only get the sample *.cpp file you provide to work correctly. How do I get it to work for any *.cpp or *.h file?

Hmm, I tried this program and noticed some problems:

1) Anytime I clicked and tried to rotate/move , the scene would
fly out of view, and I get the dreaded "nothing but black"
2) It locked up when I tried to load any code but the sample one.
3) You have to do something about the toolbar icons. I mean. . . look at them! Read some of Edward Tufte's books (the parts relating to color usage in design)
4) The about box's splash screen doesn't fit in the dialog.
5) The menu item "About OpenGL", shouldn't that be "About Genu"?
6) The Help button on the toolbar goes to an About box, that seems definitely wrong.
7) I saw another article about Genu, and they seemed to think it it was GNU(gnu's not unix) related. Is that true in any way?
8) It's speed drops to nil on antialiasing (I have a GeForce 1), without telling me it's going to.
9) Branch->With class? Why have a subselect if there is only one option?

Nice idea, it could be very useful for designing code structure, especially when others need to look at it(which we should always assume). It could be very useful, but it's needs another round of evolution. I mean that as a compliment, as in "fix the bugs and I would use it", I wouldn't have bothered describing the bugs otherwise.

Question of the ... night:
are you from those people who download program before reading any explanations ?

your post "at the very top" says nothing. "Intuitive approach to programmation ..." (its really new word/notion for me )

What is intuitive approach ? Yes, its 3D on 2d screen ! Yes, its reflections. Yes, classes is 3d spinning cubes, axe is method...
I have never seen spinning functions and hanging members, even in my worst nightmare.

While 3D is the best way of showing and simulating real world, 3D function (or 3d text) can only add complexity, but not reduce it.

How should look DWORD, for example ? Is it cube, sphere, or pile of sh.. ?

So you're just going wrong way. How it can be intuitive showing DWORD in 3d, if everybody will imagine it his own way.
PPL just will go cRaZy.

For once, mc, I agree :) Text wooshing at me from all directions would only serve to give me a headache. Still, it's fun to code up stuff like this anyway. Who knows, maybe there is a way to make wooshing 3d text work :)

Hi Everybody!

I took a look at the Homepage... It makes sense to me and I think you're looking at it from the wrong direction.. it's all about OO design and probably will not help you with smaller projects (Demos and so on..). But if you've got bigger projects (a complete engine) and you've done it in a OO design i'm pretty sure it gives a nice view of dependencies and things like that? ok?

Now, since I mix OO with non OO design this programm won't help me very much, but maybe, someday I'll get around to code purly C++ :p

cya,
Phil

visit www.rarebyte.com , thx :o)

I'm personally still hung up on the phrase "hiatus of the language."

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

I interpreted "hiatus" to mean C++'s limitations as a mostly text-based language. Granted, that is largely a limitation of the tools rather than the language, and a pretty wild guess... In any case, it is obvious that there definately needs to be more documentation describing what exactly Genu is.

Still, any progress towards non-text-based representations of C++ is a good thing imho, and I definitely will be keeping an eye on this one...

This is a pretty neat idea, one which I'm sure many of us considered during those "Life is a bitch and then theres multiple inheritance" moments. I think the direction in general is quite promising despite some of the skeptical replies above.

Just because this particular abstract representation (tree) does not seem more intuitive to you in terms of clarifying code, doesn't preclude the potential existance of harmonious forms of representation. (yeah even for abstract data like what code "produces")
Open your mind up a bit, and you might be able to imagine looking at your current project from several completely different perspectives. One designed for say quickly familiarizing yourself with the project. One for "favorite" places to visit in the codebase..etc.. Each one of them is a design challenge, and basically the only useful suggestion in my post is that maybe multiple (completely different) representations would be a more natural fit for this task. And when someone succeeds at this, I think it will make even MC BAXTON cry the tears of joy...

Sure, help is always welcome.

see tutorial 2 for more info on how to build a c++ project using Genu.

Have fun!
louis