Re: Axiom musings...

[Tim Daly]

Peter Naur wrote an article of interest:
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/Naur.pdf

In particular, it mirrors my notion that Axiom needs
to embrace literate programming so that the "theory
of the problem" is presented as well as the "theory
of the solution". I quote the introduction:



This article is, to my mind, the most accurate account
of what goes on in designing and coding a program.
I refer to it regularly when discussing how much
documentation to create, how to pass along tacit
knowledge, and the value of the XP's metaphor-setting
exercise. It also provides a way to examine a methodolgy's
economic structure.

In the article, which follows, note that the quality of the
designing programmer's work is related to the quality of
the match between his theory of the problem and his theory
of the solution. Note that the quality of a later programmer's
work is related to the match between his theories and the
previous programmer's theories.

Using Naur's ideas, the designer's job is not to pass along
"the design" but to pass along "the theories" driving the design.
The latter goal is more useful and more appropriate. It also
highlights that knowledge of the theory is tacit in the owning, and
so passing along the thoery requires passing along both explicit
and tacit knowledge.

Tim