What is Programming?

2026-01-08

In my opinion, programming is the process of writing and storing a repeatable script that instructs a device (a machine or a biological system) to perform the same task repeatedly in a consistent manner. We have long been capable of constructing devices such as spears and lawnmowers. Similarly, we have created programs for various purposes, including player pianos, cooking recipes and automobile production lines. The 20th-century innovation lies in our ability to create machines that execute scripts in a manner that significantly improves development efficiency, reducing turnaround time by a factor of ten or more. In my view, computer science should focus on the study of producing reprogrammable machines (RMs) and their accompanying scripts. However, the current field of computer science appears to be concerned with translating traditional mathematical and Gutenbergian notation into the digital domain and adapting machines to accommodate these translations.

During the 20th century, a new niche emerged for individuals deeply interested in optimizing script expression for RMs. Initially, these individuals studied the fundamental workings of target machines and matched their expressions accordingly. However, over several decades, the field has shifted towards expressing scripts for non-existent machines and has progressively forced physical machines to conform to these specifications, resulting in machines that appear more complex and bloated than their original counterparts.

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