Computing expression medium, development environment, and device communication and control architecture

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable to cause a computing system to:

• receive, from a repository, an instance of a first component, wherein the instance of the first component comprises a first set of one or more metaobjects that provides a binary representation of the instance of the first component;
• render the instance of the first component as an icon and a first set of one or more underlying panes that provide a visual expression of the instance of the first component;
• receive, via the first set of one or more underlying panes, a user modification to the instance of the first component;
• determine whether the user modification to the instance of the first component is valid, wherein said first component includes a metaobject having at least one method slot defining a method for checking the semantics of said first component, wherein said determining whether the user modification to the instance of the first component is valid includes retrieving, from said method slot, said method and employing said method;
• process the user modification in accordance with the determination,
• wherein the first component is linked to a second component,
• receive, from the repository, an instance of the second component that comprises a second set of one or more metaobjects;
• and
• render the second set of one or more metaobjects as a slot icon in the first set of one or more panes and a second set of one or more underlying panes that provide a visual expression of the second set of one or more metaobjects.

A method comprising:

• a repository sending, to a computing system, an instance of a first component, wherein the instance of the first component comprises a first set of one or more metaobjects that provides a binary representation of the instance of the first component,
• wherein said repository renders the instance of the first component as an icon and a first set of one or more underlying panes that provide a visual expression of the instance of the first component;
• the repository receiving, from the computing system, a user modification to the instance of the first component;
• the repository determining whether the user modification to the instance of the first component is valid, wherein said first component includes a metaobject having at least one method slot defining a method for checking the semantics of said first component, wherein said determining whether the user modification to the instance of the first component is valid includes retrieving, from said method slot, said method and employing said method;
• the repository processing the user modification in accordance with the determining, wherein the first component is linked to a second component,
• the repository retrieving an instance of the second component that comprises a second set of one or more metaobjects;
• and
• the repository rendering the second set of one or more metaobjects as a slot icon in the first set of one or more panes and a second set of one or more underlying panes that provide a visual expression of the second set of one or more metaobjects.

A repository comprising:

• a communication interface configured to communicate with one or more computing systems;
• a processor;
• data storage;
• a plurality of components stored in data storage, wherein each component comprises a set of one or more metaobjects that provides a binary representation of the component;
• and
• program instructions stored in data storage and executable by the processor to cause the repository to:
• send, to a computing system, an instance of a first component, wherein the instance of the first component comprises a first set of one or more metaobjects that provides a binary representation of the instance of the first component;
• render, at said computing system, the instance of the first component as an icon and a first set of one or more underlying panes that provide a visual expression of the instance of the first component;
• receive, from the computing system, a user modification to the instance of the first component;
• determine whether the user modification to the instance of the first component is valid, wherein said first component includes a metaobject having at least one method slot defining a method for checking the semantics of said first component, wherein said determining whether the user modification to the instance of the first component is valid includes retrieving, from said method slot, said method and employing said method;
• process the user modification in accordance with the determining,
• wherein the first component is linked to a second component,
• retrieve an instance of the second component that comprises a second set of one or more metaobjects;
• and
• render the second set of one or more metaobjects as a slot icon in the first set of one or more panes and a second set of one or more underlying panes that provide a visual expression of the second set of one or more metaobjects.