[tonyg]

Do you think that, generally, if someone needs an app to do something they've just thought of, that there should exist some way for them to build it themselves? If not, why not?

We will know the age of "personal computing" has truly arrived when such things are possible. At the moment, our hypothetical food truck owner (and many, many more people I know personally) are at the mercy of others, frustrated and unable to achieve their computing goals unaided.

[fsloth]

Less complex programming systems have existed for decades for PC. Excel, Matlab, Mathematica and so on.

I don't think anyone denies they've brought tremendous value to professionals in need of some ad hoc programs.