Computer Programming as an Art (1974) [pdf]

Re:Computer Programming as an Art (1974) [pdf] by pklausler on Tuesday October 25, 2016 @02:12PM (#12790162)

Artistry produces beauty. Craftsmanship produces quality. They are not the same thing, and they are not necessarily in conflict. But don't confuse one for the other.

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Re:Computer Programming as an Art (1974) [pdf] by kmote00 on Tuesday October 25, 2016 @02:35PM (#12790386)

Interesting observation, but I am not sure what your point is in this thread. Knuth understood the distinction and selected his words intentionally.

"When I speak about computer programming as an art, I am thinking primarily of it as an art _form_, in an aesthetic sense. The chief goal of my work as educator and author is to help people learn how to write _beautiful programs_."

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Re:Computer Programming as an Art (1974) [pdf] by pklausler on Tuesday October 25, 2016 @02:39PM (#12790431)

If you're getting paid to write quality software, don't instead write software that's only beautiful.

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Re:Computer Programming as an Art (1974) [pdf] by couchand on Tuesday October 25, 2016 @09:40PM (#12793259)

To a programmer's aesthetic it seems they're usually the same.

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