Components of the visual computer: A review of relevant technologies

Visual computing emhpasizes visibility of information of interest and direct manipulation of visible information. It has become a dominant style of computing in recent years. In this paper, we review three major technologies that provide a platform for visual computing. These technologies reflect the needs of various people who use visual computers: programmers, end users, and scientists. We begin with a discussion of important developments in visual programming and follow with discussions of visual interfaces and visualization. We conclude with a summary of visual computing's current status and identify critical areas of research that should be emphasized in future work.