Abstract: The present invention provides a user-friendly visual programming and modeling environment with a spreadsheet interface. The invention allows the creation of complex software applications and programs in real-time. A user with no programming skills can easily develop software programs. A hybrid workflow diagram and execution environment is created using a spreadsheet. The workflow and the spreadsheet cause variables in the spreadsheet cells to be manipulated. The hybrid workflow design and execution environment are used to implement computer readable code to create new executable software applications.

Abstract: The present invention provides a user-friendly visual programming and modeling environment with a spreadsheet interface. The invention allows the creation of complex software applications and programs in real-time. A user with no programming skills can easily develop object-oriented software programs. Each spreadsheet can represent an object, and the object can interact and send messages to other objects, which can also be represented by spreadsheets. In addition to variables and formulas, the cells in the spreadsheets can contain commands, definitions of methods and definitions of functions. One column of a spreadsheet may also function similar to a code text editor. In another embodiment, the code can either be complied or translated within a spreadsheet program to create software applications. The invention may include features to make programming easier by including the ability to drag and drop coded objects from a spreadsheet into a form.