Visual programming has been confined to a 2D world for decades, but with virtual reality, we can see code the way our brains think: in 3D.
Today, it's hard to understand how different pieces of a single codebase fit together. IDEs excel at showing one piece of code at a time, and static analysis tools only help so much. At Primitive, we're rethinking the problem by putting *all* of your code in a 3D environment for you to explore. This exercises your natural pattern recognization abilities and engages your spatial memory. Retention and recall of information learned is improved. The effect is amplified when the environment is shared with teammates locally, and around the globe.
If we then bring in data captured by executing the code, we can show patterns: what parts of the codebase are active, and which code calls which other code. Together, this data can be woven into a story telling us how the code functions. We will show how our visualization enables this storytelling.
With the ability to rapidly make sense of complex, dynamic code, software teams can improve their productivity with a few simple practices:
- Adopting a training protocol, making use of virtual reality to expedite ramp-up time.
- Sharing knowledge of code with teammates using 3D visualizations.
- Frequently visualizing your own changes in the context of the larger application, making sure new changes fit the existing architecture.
