[Dude|Sir], That's Not Programming | Dr Dobb's Journal

[Dude|Sir], That's Not Programming | Dr Dobb's Journal

Programming, as Knuth wisely pronounced, is an art. And reading through elegant code evokes the same sense of wonder and admiration that I feel when I experience other more traditional forms of art. It has a sense of beauty, but here commingled with an inherent practicality that gives it a unique and highly agreeable aspect.

Our trade requires problem-solving skills, imagination, curiosity, discipline, hard work, and especially experience. Add talent to these and you have Knuth's art. Note that these facets do not bar the way to anyone — unlike engineering or real science, which won't acknowledge skills no matter how demonstrable until they have been certified in academia.