Patent ID: 8176471

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium that stores program instructions executable by a processor to implement: displaying a first node in a first graphical data flow program, wherein the first graphical data flow program comprises a first plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the first graphical data flow program; receiving user input at edit time to configure the first node to reference a second graphical data flow program, wherein the second data flow graphical program comprises a second plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the second graphical data flow program, and wherein the second graphical data flow program is configured to execute asynchronously with respect to the first graphical data flow program; statically binding the first node to the second graphical data flow program in response to the user input, wherein said statically binding is performed at edit time; and validating compatibility between the first node and the second graphical data flow program based on said static binding, wherein said validating compatibility is performed at edit time; wherein during execution of the first graphical data flow program, the second graphical data flow program executes asynchronously with respect to the first graphical data flow program, and communicates with the second graphical data flow program via one or more strictly typed input or output parameters.