Re: The design is the code?

From: Doc O'Leary (droleary.usenet_at_2005.subsume.com)
Date: 03/22/05 

Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 09:52:26 -0600

In article <_Yu%d.11485$1S4.1191619@news.xtra.co.nz>,
 "Lurker" <nowhere@nothing.com> wrote:

> Well, formal means (to me at least) that there is a well-defined,
> [formal] algoritm that can take a source/input data and automatically
> transalate it into something else. While developing that translation
> is certainly far from mindless, running it is.

So it boils down to a pointless disagreement. Having a formal procedure
for development in no way implies it is automatic, and I would even put
well-defined as a stretch in most environments. But you have to get
something that *is* runnable by the stupid computer, so there is some
form to be followed, even if it amounts to random trial-and-error.

> Excellent. We are agreed now that programming actually
> <quote>
> "requires the most effort, both in man hours and in mental activity"
> <unquote>
>
> So, what about the design then? Does it require less activity?

I would say that, yes, it always has for me. That in no way implies it
is *easy* to create a good design. If it were, it would come naturally
to most people, but I've known many great coders who just couldn't seem
to grasp the bigger picture.

> Well then, looks like we are back to square one. If design
> can't be automatically [formally] translated to code, then
> there must be a creative stage somewhere in the middle
> which takes design input and [non-trivially] translates it
> to code. What will you call that stage?

Implementation.

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