# Visual Editor

The Visual Editor is a drag-and-drop interface for building device logic without writing code. Built on [Blockly](https://developers.google.com/blockly), it provides an intuitive way to create scripts by connecting visual blocks that represent programming concepts.

Behind the scenes, the Visual Editor automatically translates your block arrangements into [UniotLisp](https://docs.uniot.io/advanced/uniot-lisp) code. This approach makes IoT development accessible to beginners while remaining efficient for experienced developers who want to prototype quickly. Focus on application logic instead of syntax details.

## How It Works

1. **Drag blocks** from the toolbox into your workspace
2. **Connect blocks** together to build logic - blocks snap together when they're compatible
3. **Configure blocks** by filling in values, selecting options, or creating variables
4. **Test in the emulator** to verify behavior
5. **Compile to UniotLisp** when ready to deploy or view the generated code

The Visual Editor handles:

* **Hardware interactions** - Read sensors, control actuators, and manage device I/O with Primitive blocks
* **MQTT communications** - Handle events, access payloads, and publish messages
* **Program logic** - Conditions, loops, variables, functions, and data manipulation

## Block Categories

The Visual Editor organizes blocks into categories by function. Each category contains blocks designed for specific purposes:

* [**Special**](https://docs.uniot.io/platform/sandbox/visual-editor/special): Provides blocks for controlling the script execution flow and interacting with external MQTT events.
* [**Logic**](https://docs.uniot.io/platform/sandbox/visual-editor/logic): Includes blocks for boolean operations, comparisons, and conditional statements to control the flow of your scripts.
* [**Math**](https://docs.uniot.io/platform/sandbox/visual-editor/math): Provides blocks for arithmetic, random number generation, and advanced mathematical functions.
* [**Loops**](https://docs.uniot.io/platform/sandbox/visual-editor/loops): Enables repeating sequences of instructions based on conditions or specific counts.
* [**Text**](https://docs.uniot.io/platform/sandbox/visual-editor/text): Contains blocks for creating, manipulating, and outputting text strings in your scripts.
* [**Variables**](https://docs.uniot.io/platform/sandbox/visual-editor/variables): Allows you to store, retrieve, and modify values using named variables in your scripts.
* [**Functions**](https://docs.uniot.io/platform/sandbox/visual-editor/functions): Lets you define reusable blocks of code with optional parameters and return values.
* [**Primitives**](https://docs.uniot.io/platform/sandbox/visual-editor/primitives): Includes blocks for direct hardware interactions, such as reading sensor data or controlling actuators.