Look at IPython and DrRacket to see why inline images can be useful in REPLs. With DrRacket you can not only view, but also create and combine images one step at the time, always seeing the latest form of it. And then you naturally end up with a script for doing the transformations needed to get your desired result.<p>In short: the time savings introduced by shortening the feedback loop tend to add up. There is a reason why Web developers now use auto-reloading solutions, despite the fact that it saves &quot;just one keystroke&quot; (F5 in this case).