∞ /notes/programming-craft-and-literature | 2005-12-03 | programming

Programming, craft and literature

Cross-posted to: https://fsteeg.wordpress.com/2005/12/03/programming-craft-and-literature/

I always liked the idea of programming being a craft (as for example The Pragmatic Programmer indicates with it's cover) rather than well, an art I guess. At the same time when studying literature I was convinced that writing (even of literature) is a craft rather than an art. Now I recently for the first time heard of Donald Knuth's ideal of literate programming. And there is no contradiction: Programming is a craft, and that craft is probably closer to the craft of writing literature than to carpentry.