Programming is Writing is Programming

Abstract

Writing and programming are often seen as different: writing a creative profession, programming a technical one. Below the surface however, there is one striking similarity: both writing and programming can be described as the translation of a high-level idea into low level sentences or statements. This paper compares writing and programming and uncovers similarities between some of the steps commonly considered part of the writing and programming workflows, such as information gathering and selection. We however also observe differences, like the attention that writers spent on formatting and styling, and the opportunity for feedback that programmers have by compiling and executing programs. We close the paper with a discussion of the impact of this finding, including educational methods that programming could take from writing education.