* Target language agnostic (this one seems to get mostly there) -- the nodes communicate data/logic flow, you then serialize/deserialize accordingly. * Focus on data flow, not just execution -- IO from nodes, visual indicators of data types (colors or something) * Capable of visually encapsulating complexity -- define flows within flows * Ideally embeddable in web apps (e.g a browser/electron frontend or something)
These are pretty popular to embed in complex "design" oriented applications, especially ones that involve crafting procedures by non-programmers (e.g. artists, data scientists, etc). Examples where this is implemented that come to mind include Blender, Unity, and Unreal.
A core part of the fundamental design of each one of the successful implementations is that they allow efficient code to be crafted by people who don't think they understand code. Making it visual helps engage the brains of certain kinds of people. The "code as text" paradigm is spatially efficient, but it's like a brick wall for some people.