Data Visualisation Tools for Enhancing Live Coding Usability and Audience Experience

Live coding, the interactive control of algorithmic processes through programming activity (Bell 2013b), typically involves a projection of the performer’s activity. In live coding, sometimes the state of the system or data structures the coder is interacting with can be opaque. When data is generated by an unpredictable algorithm, it can be particularly confusing for the coder. If data structures have been instantiated, it may be possible to print their contents to a post window or terminal, but even that can frequently be hard to use for quickly determining system state. Knowledge of that state can be valuable when deciding how to proceed with a live coding performance.