I see REPL driven development more akin to writing music. I pick up the guitar and start playing. I can work on a small fragment and improve it until it sounds good to me. Or I can play the whole song. At all times I have instant feedback and I can hear what I'm working on.
In the case of the REPL you are playing your program. You can play a file, a function, or half of a function. Until it sounds right.
I lack the skill to use music notation for composition, so I rely on my instrument to give me feedback. And I lack the skill to execute the program in my head before I press compile, that's why I rely on the REPL.
In the case of the REPL you are playing your program. You can play a file, a function, or half of a function. Until it sounds right.
I lack the skill to use music notation for composition, so I rely on my instrument to give me feedback. And I lack the skill to execute the program in my head before I press compile, that's why I rely on the REPL.