FAQ

F.A.Q. = Fervently Anticipated Questions

(Some documentation works better in Q/A form,
even when no-one has actually asked the Qs.)

Q: What is Flutter?
A: Flutter is a suite of demos for Perl 6.

Q: Why?
A: Because we lacked a good answer to "What now?" when a novice downloads a
   binary of Rakudo Star.
   The easier we make R* to acquire, the more likely that any particular user
   will not know how to play with their new toy. I think we can provide a
   solid first experience with Perl 6 for *anyone* who gets their hands on
   *any* implementation of Perl 6, even if they are non-programmers.

Q: Why "flutter" as the name?
A: From the image of a butterfly (like our mascot Camelia) fluttering about,
   pleasant to look at, and just engaging enough to keep you watching. You can
   sit back and passively observe, or actively chase butterflies with a
   child's enthusiasm.

Q: What is "narrative flow"? Isn't that for literature?
A: XXX Definition to come; hard to come by.
A: Instead of "literature", think of NF in the context of "telling a story". A
   good demo certainly tells a story, and that story should be coherent. If
   the story is *compelling*, then you have gone from good to great.

   From http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue14/wbinvisiblequestions.htm :
    Pull a book down from your shelf and find in it a long paragraph, a nice
    big black block. Read the first sentence and stop. Read the second
    sentence and stop. And then the third. Can you hear the second voice,
    between the visible text, whispering questions? One sentence introduces
    part of a picture that baits the reader into subconsciously asking a
    question about the idea or action. The writer, in turn, answers that
    question in the next sentence while simultaneously expanding information
    that prompts the reader into asking additional questions. And then the
    process repeats itself.

Q: Why is the Flutter repo in Util's personal GitHub space?
A: Because I don't know where it should live yet. I hope that it will become
   useful for Perl 6 implementations beyond just Rakudo, and for Rakudo
   distributions beyond just Star.