How to Use Ryven: A Visual Python Scripting Tool

This article introduces Ryven, a visual Python scripting tool developed by Leon Thomm, a first‑year student at ETH Zurich, and explains why visual programming can make Python scripts more engaging.

Ryven provides a graphical interface where each step—such as loading an image, resizing it, or applying a bilateral filter—is displayed clearly, allowing users to see the effect of every operation in real time.

The tool also supports matrix operations; you can transpose, compute conjugates, or raise matrices to a power and receive immediate visual feedback.

To get started, ensure you have Python 3 (recommended 3.8 or newer) and PySide2 (recommended 2.14 or newer) installed. Then run the Ryven.py script in the project directory to launch the editor.

Within the editor, you can import node packages by selecting File → Import Nodes and loading *.rpc files. The interface offers two execution modes:

Data Flow: Whenever a node’s data changes, the update propagates instantly to all connected nodes, instantly reflecting the new results.

Execution Flow: Updates are triggered only when a downstream node requests data, allowing for on‑demand computation.

The author also shares a personal to‑do list that includes adding syntax highlighting, automatic code completion, and improving the visual experience.

While visual programming can be fun and educational, the author emphasizes that it is not intended to replace traditional text‑based coding, as many tasks are still best performed with code.

Leon Thomm, the creator of Ryven, describes himself as an “amateur programmer” focused on human‑computer interaction and visual programming, with extensive software development experience prior to university.

At the end of the article, readers are invited to scan a QR code to receive a free Python course and a collection of learning resources, including e‑books, tutorials, and source code.