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Programming: Art or Science?

Started by raptorstrike 39 replies 3.6k views
Original Post
raptorstrike
raptorstrike
I was just kind of thinking about this today: what would you classify programming as? sure there are certine syntax you must follow because it is a language but outside of that programming is VERY abiguos. There is more then 1 (probibly more then 10) ways of doing things and alot of people develop their own style of prgramming. It dose seem like once you get into professtional programming then it is more stricked but im sure even individual teams have ways they orgrnize their code from variable pre-fixes to what kind of job each object and function should do. any way just thought i would through this out thier [grin]
____"This just in, 9 out of 10 americans agree that 1 out of 10 americans will disagree with the other 9"- Colin Mochrie
nts
nts
art, it isn't about how you organize your code its about how you solve the problem at hand given some restrictions, can be very creative :p
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choffstein
choffstein
I actually wrote my College Application essay on the similarities between programming and art. I personally think that the same desire for creation drives the programming and the artist, but the program desires less abstractness in thier work.

I will post my essay if anyone wants to read it.
twix
twix
Well, it's pretty obvious that it's not a science. I think what you're trying to ask is whether it's an art or an engineering discipline?

I would be very reluctant to classify programming as an art, although some specific programs may have an artistic quality to them.
Densun
Densun
It's neither.
Q-Parser
Q-Parser
Quote:
Original post by visage
I actually wrote my College Application essay on the similarities between programming and art. I personally think that the same desire for creation drives the programming and the artist, but the program desires less abstractness in thier work.

I will post my essay if anyone wants to read it.


I agree with the point that programming is sort of art. You just think of the idea and encode it using programming language. There are as many ways how to do that as there is in art, I believe. However, it's ambiguos, as programming and art have something common, but they don't as well.
Fuzztrek
Fuzztrek
You cannot have art without science; you cannot have science without art. Stop trying to destroy the universe by separating them into two distinct forms.
bishop_pass
bishop_pass
Quote:
Original post by nts
art, it isn't about how you organize your code its about how you solve the problem at hand given some restrictions, can be very creative :p
So what you mean it isn't art - it's engineering, right? Art is more about defining your own rules outside of any framework - certainly moreso than engineering or programming.
_______________________________
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Nemesis2k2
Nemesis2k2
Programming is engineering. You have a set of tools to build something that fits a design requirement. Creativity plays a big part in the design phase, and you can come up with designs that are more elegent than others, but everything is still done with a practical mind, for a specific purpose.
Ainokea
Ainokea
How often do they have these threads? It seems like once a month.
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Binomine
Binomine
Quote:
Original post by Fuzztrek
You cannot have art without science; you cannot have science without art. Stop trying to destroy the universe by separating them into two distinct forms.
Agreed. Architecture is Engineering, but anyone who says the Hoover Dam or the Sidney Opera House isn't art is merely fooling themselves.
Mscgamer
Mscgamer


*gasp* It's . . . it's beautiful.
raptorstrike
raptorstrike
then what defines art? even "art" like painting has certin rules there cant be NO boundries for example painting must use PAINT Dancing must involve body movement

programming you must use a computer but you can still program whatever
____"This just in, 9 out of 10 americans agree that 1 out of 10 americans will disagree with the other 9"- Colin Mochrie
twix
twix
Quote:
Original post by raptorstrike
then what defines art? even "art" like painting has certin rules there cant be NO boundries for example painting must use PAINT Dancing must involve body movement

programming you must use a computer but you can still program whatever

You can program whatever, but nobody would care. Generally, a program is supposed to solve a specific problem, which is entirely different from art (as I understand it).
flangazor
flangazor
If you care, Camridge University and Oxford University dont't offer Science degrees (BSc, MS, etc) in anything. Only Arts and specific degrees (BA, MMath, MEng, MChem, etc).

I believe the reasoning is that all things are a craft. How you conduct an experiment, how you attack an inobviously solvable integration, etc are all crafts. Crafts are essentially arts.
Q-Parser
Q-Parser
Quote:
Original post by raptorstrike
programming you must use a computer but you can still program whatever


A programmer is restricted to program within the capabilities of computer and software the same way as an artist is design by his imagination.
Gourgy
Gourgy
Programming can be a means to create art, but it isn't art.
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Mscgamer
Mscgamer
Quote:
Original post by j0seph
Quote:
Original post by raptorstrike
programming you must use a computer but you can still program whatever


A programmer is restricted to program within the capabilities of computer and software the same way as an artist is design by his imagination.


Problem solving isn't an art. You may compare it to an art, but it isn't traditionally seen as one. In a game development team, why do you think 3D modelers are labeled "artists" while coders are labeled "programmers?"

A good read.

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