Final Design - Explaining the Metaphor

This exhibition piece is a metaphor for the term “variable” used in the computer programming language Java. The metaphor plays with the idea that a computer variable is much like a symbol that can be used in mathematics to refer to a given value. An example of this is p, which equals a circle’s circumference divided by its diameter, one can then use p at any time and it will refer to its given value.

In my metaphor, instead of using something like p which already has a value, I gave the variable the name x. This is because x is commonly used in mathematics to show that a value goes there, without defining what it is. The x can then be given a value, defining the so far undefined variable. The interesting part is that the value of x can then be changed again, replacing its value with a new one, which thus changes the outcome of the equation. In both Java and mathematics this is an extremely useful tool used to update your code or an equation.

Some of the less obvious features of this metaphor are that the variable can only have one value at a time and that the value of the variable can range from a simple integer, a complex equation or even a decimal number, while if nothing is set for the variable it equals zero.

Another awesome link. This is where I found the the code for the letter box - and where I learnt how to use it. Plus it's really really cool!