Personal programming and the object computer

Abstract

My objective is to create an intuitive computer for laypeople who want to go beyond ready-made apps and create programs to control their electronic environment. I submit Loke, a new kind of computer that is a universe of objects and nothing but objects. I call it an object computer. Loke is implemented in Squeak, a variant of Smalltalk, and is an extensible, conceptual model for execution, inspection, and exploration. It was first used to demonstrate how Ellen, a novice, programs a smart alarm clock through a GUI adapted to her competence, needs, and preferences. Informal demonstrations indicated that laypeople immediately grasp the idea of communicating objects that represent real things in their environment. They also wanted to use it for their own purposes. They were creative in identifying personal opportunities for Loke and in sketching out their implementations. Interestingly, expert programmers who attended the demonstration did not see the point of Loke. I have completed the programming of Loke qua conceptual model. The model underpins its potential security and privacy and sustains its object and message models. The Loke qua programming environment is still in its infancy, and its inherent security and privacy properties are still not realized in practice. A future Loke device will be accessible from anywhere and embedded in its own hardware to achieve them. The Loke IDE rests on Data–Context–Interaction (DCI), a new programming paradigm that leads to readable code with a clear architecture. I submit Loke for the pleasure of personal programming.