eXpresser v0-1053

The latest version of the system (v0-1053) now includes a mock-up of ‘resource allocation’. Each colour now has a numeric limit. By default this is 10 per colour. Once this number of basic blocks of that colour have been used up, blocks are no longer painted using that colour but instead are shown with a thick red border since the resource has ‘run out’.

The aim here is for the user to see value in analysing their constructions as they construct them not after they construct them. Ultimately, in the case of the footpath pattern for example, we want the user to be able to say that the number of green needed is 5 times the number of red plus 3. Rather than seeing this as a secondary phase, resource allocation is a mechanism for integrating both analysis and construction (as discussed in previous meetings and in Issue 237.)

At any time, users can use ‘color icon variables’ in the same way as ‘iterations’ icon variables. The expression toolbar has been updated to include an extra button ‘color’ which provides this functionality. A lot more work needs to be done here.

Currently there is nothing to stop the user just allocating (say) 10,000 to each colour and working without worrying about the algebra. We have yet to design and implement mechanisms for what happens if the user has too many resources.

Note that there are some bugs with repainting but it generally works well enough to function as an object to think with. Note also that currently expressions can only consist of a single operator optionally repeated. For example, 3 + 5 + 2 is fine as is 4 * 3 * 2 but 3 * 4 + 2 is not parseable yet. This means that the expression 5n + 3 is not parseable yet either. This will be addressed in the near future.