Geometry-Specific Languages and Their Interfaces

Traditionally, programming languages have been designed with an eye toward implementation on general-purpose computers. The advent of computationally-enhanced craft items–small programmable objects with simple geometries and scaled-down computational components–suggests the need for new language and software environment models tailored for these objects. In some respects, the task of the craft-item language designer is less demanding than that of the traditional language designer; but there are new challenges to be faced as well. In this paper, we summarize both our experiences in creating computationally-enhanced craft items and their ramifications for the creation of geometry-specific languages, programming environments, and interfaces.