You don't need to modify your code as it plays. However, if you do you turn what's a more traditional composition style workflow into a much more exciting, expressive performance workflow.
When I gig with Sonic Pi all I do is modify the code on-the-fly. It allows me to react to the crowd, the environment and my feelings :-)
Mad respect, this looks so inventive. But as a coder by day / vinyl and controller DJ by night, shifting code around to gig sounds like a nightmarish personal hell!
Am I missing something about how the tactile control works, or is it really just shifting text around with a keyboard and mouse?
I'm a localization worker by day and DJ on the weekends... I understand your point haha. But we can't escape the curse, I indeed try do 'different activities' but at the end of the day I'm just switching laptops. Translate? computer work. Programm? computer work. DJing? computer work.
When I gig with Sonic Pi all I do is modify the code on-the-fly. It allows me to react to the crowd, the environment and my feelings :-)