Live programming aims to create a more fluid feedback loop between the programmer and programmed. Unfortunately, it is not very clear what this feedback does and how it is useful: does it just lead to better debugging, or to something revolutionary? To answer this question, we clarify the experiential design challenges that must be overcome before live programming can emerge as a serious topic.

I am a programming language researcher at Microsoft Research Asia’s Systems Research Group who focuses on design, objects, IDEs, live programming, and how we could program with touch.