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articulate programming

Software that can explain itself.
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Literate programming combines software with its documentation (comments++) to create a work of technical literature which can be both read and compiled.

Articulate programming goes one step further. The code is annotated with natural-language explanation (at both high and low levels, across software components, in a way suitable for the current user's level of technical expertise) so that it can actually explain what it's doing to the user.

``Error loading Web page.'' (Note: lots of software stops here.)

Click: ``Why?''

``Host not reachable connecting to IP 1.2.3.4.'' (Note: even the best software stops here.)

Click: ``Why were you <connecting to IP 1.2.3.4>?''

``The user followed a link to host foo.com, no proxy is configured, and the resolver listed IP 1.2.3.4 for foo.com.''

Click: ``Why did you think <no proxy is configured>?''

``Could not read proxy configuration file /etc/foo, using default behavior.''

Click: ``Why couldn't you <read proxy configuration file>?''

``open("/foo/bar",O_RDONLY) returned "Permission denied."''

Aha...

This is obviously useful for troubleshooting, but also helpful for when software does something unexpected. ``Why did you just highlight that?'' It would also be a great educational aid, teaching people what actually goes on behind the scenes without overwhelming them.

egnor, Apr 28 2000

Self-Describing GA http://www.halfbake...elf-Describing%20GA
The œ-bakery idea that inspired me to post this one. [egnor, Apr 28 2000, last modified Oct 05 2004]

How To Write Unmaintainable Code http://mindprod.com/unmain.html
The antithesis of this idea... [dgeiser13, Apr 28 2000, last modified Oct 05 2004]


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Annotation:







       Most expert systems do behave in this manner. Using recent generation tools like Prolog-III or OZ (constraint-based language) one programs by specifying rules, rather than explicitly specifying behavior. Because execution means applying rules until a resulting correct behavior is found to execute, one can work at a 'meta-level' and ask the system what rules it applied to come to the conclusion it did. In the last few years PCs have become powerful enough, and logic and constraint-based languages efficient enough, to use this technique in popular applications. We just do not have enough programmers trained in these techniques or we would see more apps already.
yogibear, Apr 28 2000
  

       whoa -- this is like a stack trace on drugs :) Implementing a system like this would force programmgers to explicitly define what each part of a program does in a sort of outline form, which has the additional side-effect of making programs much more readable, and source documentation much more comprehensive.
illya23b, Jan 04 2001
  

       Yes, that's the idea.
egnor, Jan 04 2001
  

       "I still have no idea why the app crashed, but I think I'm finally ready to forgive my parents."
Monkfish, Jan 04 2001
  

       I'm not sure the documentation would have to be that cumbersome, as part of coding any project (in an ideal world) you already have a design doc implemented that contains a flowchart mapping every possible function call and result. If there was a system for inputting and reading this flowchart, along with some natural language (NL) text strings, one could conceivably imaging the beginings of such a NL error response framework. Of course even your OS would have to return NL text formatted error messages, or you would have to compile a lookup table with common error numbers and associated NL strings.   

       I think this is a bloody brilliant idea, and can't believe I didn't come up with it myself, what with all the coding I do. Of course, I've prolly just habituated to accept "Segfault. [BLAH]" as a valid error message...
Reverend_Cobol, Nov 04 2003
  

       "Error loading Web page.''
Click: "Why?''
"Host not reachable connecting to IP 1.2.3.4.''
Click: "Why were you <connecting to IP 1.2.3.4>?''
"Error finding next message."
User: "Umm..."
  

       That Unmaintainable Code essay is brilliant. I have followed it wherever possible, and it has never led me astray. ;)
Detly, Nov 04 2003
  

       This might give you problems in an environment where one program (written nicely in this new way) had to interact with a bunch of programs (or components, libraries, etc.) not written in this way.   

       I can imagine finding that the explanation petered out just as it was about to get interesting, and then cursing a lot.   

       I suppose that's similar to what [Detly] said.
pertinax, Jun 07 2006
  


 

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