Automatic programming
Encyclopedia
In computer science
, the term automatic programming identifies a type of computer programming
in which some mechanism generates a computer program
to allow human programmer
s to write the code at a higher abstraction level.
There has been little agreement on the precise definition of automatic programming, mostly because its meaning has changed over time. David Parnas
, tracing the history of "automatic programming" in published research, noted that in the 1940s it described automation of the manual process of punching paper tape. Later it referred to translation of high-level
programming language
s like Fortran
and ALGOL
. In fact, one of the earliest programs identifiable as a compiler
was called Autocode
. Parnas concluded that "automatic programming has always been a euphemism
for programming in a higher-level language than was then available to the programmer."
that uses automated source code
creation through generic
frames
, classes
, prototypes
, template
s, aspect
s, and code generators to improve programmer
productivity. It is often related to code-reuse topics such as component-based software engineering
and product family engineering
.
model such as a template and is accomplished with a programming tool
such as a template processor or an IDE
. These tools allow the generation of source code
through any of various means. A macro processor, such as the C preprocessor
, which replaces patterns in source code according to relatively simple rules, is a simple form of source code generator.
s such as Eclipse
, Interface Builder
and Microsoft Visual Studio
have more advanced forms of source code generation, with which the programmer can interactively select and customize "snippets" of source code. Program "wizard
s", which allow the programmer to design graphical user interface
s interactively while the compiler invisibly generates the corresponding source code, are another common form of source code generation. This may be contrasted with, for example, user interface markup language
s, which define user interfaces declaratively
.
Besides the generation of code from a wizard or template, IDEs can also generate and manipulate code to automate code refactorings that would require multiple (error prone) manual steps, thereby improving developer productivity. Examples of such features in IDEs are the refactoring class browsers for Smalltalk
and those found in Java IDEs like IntelliJ and Eclipse
.
A specialized alternative involves the generation of optimized
code for quantities defined mathematically within a Computer algebra system
(CAS). Compiler optimization consisting of finding common intermediates of a vector of size
requires a complexity of 
or 
operations whereas the very design of a computer algebra system requires only 
operations. These facilities can be used as pre-optimizer before processing by the compiler. This option has been used for handling mathematically large expressions in e.g. computational (quantum) chemistry
.
Examples:
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, the term automatic programming identifies a type of computer programming
Computer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
in which some mechanism generates a computer program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
to allow human programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
s to write the code at a higher abstraction level.
There has been little agreement on the precise definition of automatic programming, mostly because its meaning has changed over time. David Parnas
David Parnas
David Lorge Parnas is a Canadian early pioneer of software engineering, who developed the concept of information hiding in modular programming, which is an important element of object-oriented programming today. He is also noted for his advocacy of precise documentation.- Biography :Parnas earned...
, tracing the history of "automatic programming" in published research, noted that in the 1940s it described automation of the manual process of punching paper tape. Later it referred to translation of high-level
High-level programming language
A high-level programming language is a programming language with strong abstraction from the details of the computer. In comparison to low-level programming languages, it may use natural language elements, be easier to use, or be from the specification of the program, making the process of...
programming language
Programming language
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
s like Fortran
Fortran
Fortran is a general-purpose, procedural, imperative programming language that is especially suited to numeric computation and scientific computing...
and ALGOL
ALGOL
ALGOL is a family of imperative computer programming languages originally developed in the mid 1950s which greatly influenced many other languages and became the de facto way algorithms were described in textbooks and academic works for almost the next 30 years...
. In fact, one of the earliest programs identifiable as a compiler
Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language...
was called Autocode
Autocode
Autocode is the name of a family of "simplified coding systems", later called programming languages, devised in the 1950s and 1960s for a series of digital computers at the Universities of Manchester and Cambridge...
. Parnas concluded that "automatic programming has always been a euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
for programming in a higher-level language than was then available to the programmer."
Generative programming
Generative programming is a style of computer programmingComputer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
that uses automated source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
creation through generic
Generic programming
In a broad definition, generic programming is a style of computer programming in which algorithms are written in terms of to-be-specified-later types that are then instantiated when needed for specific types provided as parameters...
frames
Frame Technology (software engineering)
Frame technology is a language-neutral system that manufactures custom software from reusable, machine-adaptable building blocks, called frames. FT is used to reduce the time, effort, and errors involved in the design, construction, and evolution of large, complex software systems...
, classes
Class (computer science)
In object-oriented programming, a class is a construct that is used as a blueprint to create instances of itself – referred to as class instances, class objects, instance objects or simply objects. A class defines constituent members which enable these class instances to have state and behavior...
, prototypes
Prototype-based programming
Prototype-based programming is a style of object-oriented programming in which classes are not present, and behavior reuse is performed via a process of cloning existing objects that serve as prototypes. This model can also be known as classless, prototype-oriented or instance-based programming...
, template
Template processor
A template processor is software or a software component that is designed to combine one or moretemplates with a data model to produceone or more result documents...
s, aspect
Aspect (computer science)
In computer science, an aspect of a program is a feature linked to many other parts of the program, but which is not related to the program's primary function. An aspect crosscuts the program's core concerns, therefore violating its separation of concerns that tries to encapsulate unrelated functions...
s, and code generators to improve programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
productivity. It is often related to code-reuse topics such as component-based software engineering
Component-based software engineering
Component-based software engineering is a branch of software engineering that emphasizes the separation of concerns in respect of the wide-ranging functionality available throughout a given software system...
and product family engineering
Product Family Engineering
Product family engineering , also known as product line engineering, is a synonym for "domain engineering" created by the Software Engineering Institute, a term coined by James Neighbors in his 1980 dissertation at University of California, Irvine...
.
Source code generation
Source code generation is the act of generating source code based on an ontologicalOntology (computer science)
In computer science and information science, an ontology formally represents knowledge as a set of concepts within a domain, and the relationships between those concepts. It can be used to reason about the entities within that domain and may be used to describe the domain.In theory, an ontology is...
model such as a template and is accomplished with a programming tool
Programming tool
A programming tool or software development tool is a program or application that software developers use to create, debug, maintain, or otherwise support other programs and applications...
such as a template processor or an IDE
Integrated development environment
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
. These tools allow the generation of source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
through any of various means. A macro processor, such as the C preprocessor
C preprocessor
The C preprocessor is the preprocessor for the C and C++ computer programming languages. The preprocessor handles directives for source file inclusion , macro definitions , and conditional inclusion ....
, which replaces patterns in source code according to relatively simple rules, is a simple form of source code generator.
Implementations
IDEIntegrated development environment
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
s such as Eclipse
Eclipse (software)
Eclipse is a multi-language software development environment comprising an integrated development environment and an extensible plug-in system...
, Interface Builder
Interface Builder
Interface Builder is a software development application for Apple's Mac OS X operating system. It is part of Xcode , the Apple Developer Connection developer's toolset. Interface Builder allows Cocoa and Carbon developers to create interfaces for applications using a graphical user...
and Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment from Microsoft. It is used to develop console and graphical user interface applications along with Windows Forms applications, web sites, web applications, and web services in both native code together with managed code for all...
have more advanced forms of source code generation, with which the programmer can interactively select and customize "snippets" of source code. Program "wizard
Wizard (software)
A software wizard or setup assistant is a user interface type that presents a user with a sequence of dialog boxes that lead the user through a series of well-defined steps. Tasks that are complex, infrequently performed, or unfamiliar may be easier to perform using a wizard...
s", which allow the programmer to design graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
s interactively while the compiler invisibly generates the corresponding source code, are another common form of source code generation. This may be contrasted with, for example, user interface markup language
User interface markup language
A user interface markup language is a markup language that renders and describes graphical user interfaces and controls. Many of these markup languages are dialects of XML and are dependent upon a pre-existing scripting language engine, usually a JavaScript engine, for rendering of controls and...
s, which define user interfaces declaratively
Declarative programming
In computer science, declarative programming is a programming paradigm that expresses the logic of a computation without describing its control flow. Many languages applying this style attempt to minimize or eliminate side effects by describing what the program should accomplish, rather than...
.
Besides the generation of code from a wizard or template, IDEs can also generate and manipulate code to automate code refactorings that would require multiple (error prone) manual steps, thereby improving developer productivity. Examples of such features in IDEs are the refactoring class browsers for Smalltalk
Smalltalk
Smalltalk is an object-oriented, dynamically typed, reflective programming language. Smalltalk was created as the language to underpin the "new world" of computing exemplified by "human–computer symbiosis." It was designed and created in part for educational use, more so for constructionist...
and those found in Java IDEs like IntelliJ and Eclipse
Eclipse (software)
Eclipse is a multi-language software development environment comprising an integrated development environment and an extensible plug-in system...
.
A specialized alternative involves the generation of optimized
Compiler optimization
Compiler optimization is the process of tuning the output of a compiler to minimize or maximize some attributes of an executable computer program. The most common requirement is to minimize the time taken to execute a program; a less common one is to minimize the amount of memory occupied...
code for quantities defined mathematically within a Computer algebra system
Computer algebra system
A computer algebra system is a software program that facilitates symbolic mathematics. The core functionality of a CAS is manipulation of mathematical expressions in symbolic form.-Symbolic manipulations:...
(CAS). Compiler optimization consisting of finding common intermediates of a vector of size
requires a complexity of or operations whereas the very design of a computer algebra system requires only operations. These facilities can be used as pre-optimizer before processing by the compiler. This option has been used for handling mathematically large expressions in e.g. computational (quantum) chemistryComputational chemistry
Computational chemistry is a branch of chemistry that uses principles of computer science to assist in solving chemical problems. It uses the results of theoretical chemistry, incorporated into efficient computer programs, to calculate the structures and properties of molecules and solids...
.
Examples:
- AcceleoAcceleoAcceleo is an open source code generator of the Eclipse Foundation that allow people to use a model driven approach to build application from models. It is an implementation of the standard from the Object Management Group for model to text transformation named MOFM2T.- Early versions :The project...
is an open source code generator for EclipseEclipse (software)Eclipse is a multi-language software development environment comprising an integrated development environment and an extensible plug-in system...
used to generate any textual language (Java, PHP, Python, etc) from EMFEclipse Modeling FrameworkEclipse Modeling Framework is an Eclipse-based modeling framework and code generation facility for building tools and other applications based on a structured data model...
models defined from any metamodel (UMLUnified Modeling LanguageUnified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...
, SysML, etc).
- ActifsourceActifsourceActifsource is a domain specific modeling workbench. It is realized as plug-in for the software development environment Eclipse. Actifsource supports the creation of multiple domain models which can be linked together. It comes with a UML-like graphical editor to create domain specific languages...
is a plugin for EclipseEclipse (software)Eclipse is a multi-language software development environment comprising an integrated development environment and an extensible plug-in system...
that allows graphical modelling and model-based code generation using custom templates.
- AltovaAltovaFounded in 1992, Altova is a commercial software development company with headquarters in Beverly, MA, USA and Vienna, Austria that produces integrated XML, database, UML, and data management software development tools.-Products:Altova’s products include:...
MapForce is a graphical data mapping, conversion, and integration tool capable of generating application code in Java, C#, or C++ for executing recurrent transformations.
- CodeFluent Entities from SoftFluent is a graphical tool integrated into Microsoft Visual Studio that generates .NET source code, in C# or Visual Basic.
- DMS Software Reengineering ToolkitDMS Software Reengineering ToolkitThe DMS Software Reengineering Toolkit is a proprietary set of program transformation tools available for automating custom source program analysis, modification, translation or generation of software systems for arbitrary mixtures of source languages for large scale software systems.DMS has been...
is a system for defining arbitrary domain specific languages and translating them to other languages.
- Spring RooSpring RooSpring Roo is an open source software tool that uses convention-over-configuration principles to provide rapid application development of Java-based enterprise software. The resulting applications use common Java technologies such as Spring Framework, Java Persistence API, Java Server Pages, Apache...
is an open sourceOpen sourceThe term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
active code generator for Spring Framework based JavaJava (programming language)Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
applications. It uses AspectJAspectJAspectJ is an aspect-oriented extension created at PARC for the Java programming language. It is available in Eclipse Foundation open-source projects, both stand-alone and integrated into Eclipse. AspectJ has become the widely-used de-facto standard for AOP by emphasizing simplicity and usability...
mixins to provide separation of concernsSeparation of concernsIn computer science, separation of concerns is the process of separating a computer program into distinct features that overlap in functionality as little as possible. A concern is any piece of interest or focus in a program. Typically, concerns are synonymous with features or behaviors...
during round-trip maintenance.
- RISERISE EditorThe RISE Editor is a free information modeling tool for information system development based on model driven development. Functionality includes automatic interface composition, database generation and updates, data insertion, programming interface publishing and web service generation. The...
is a free information modeling suit for system development using ERDEntity-relationship modelIn software engineering, an entity-relationship model is an abstract and conceptual representation of data. Entity-relationship modeling is a database modeling method, used to produce a type of conceptual schema or semantic data model of a system, often a relational database, and its requirements...
or UMLUnified Modeling LanguageUnified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...
. Database code generation for MySQLMySQLMySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
, PostgreSQLPostgreSQLPostgreSQL, often simply Postgres, is an object-relational database management system available for many platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, MS Windows and Mac OS X. It is released under the PostgreSQL License, which is an MIT-style license, and is thus free and open source software...
and Microsoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SQL Server is a relational database server, developed by Microsoft: It is a software product whose primary function is to store and retrieve data as requested by other software applications, be it those on the same computer or those running on another computer across a network...
. Persistence code generation for C# (.NET) and PHPPHPPHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
including both SOAPSOAPSOAP, originally defined as Simple Object Access Protocol, is a protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of Web Services in computer networks...
and JSONJSONJSON , or JavaScript Object Notation, is a lightweight text-based open standard designed for human-readable data interchange. It is derived from the JavaScript scripting language for representing simple data structures and associative arrays, called objects...
style web serviceWeb serviceA Web service is a method of communication between two electronic devices over the web.The W3C defines a "Web service" as "a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network". It has an interface described in a machine-processable format...
s and AJAXAjax (programming)Ajax is a group of interrelated web development methods used on the client-side to create asynchronous web applications...
proxy code.
- The MapleMaple (software)Maple is a general-purpose commercial computer algebra system. It was first developed in 1980 by the Symbolic Computation Group at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada....
computer algebra system offers code generators optimizers with Fortran, C and Java. MathematicaMathematicaMathematica is a computational software program used in scientific, engineering, and mathematical fields and other areas of technical computing...
and MuPADMuPADMuPAD is a computer algebra system . Originally developed by the MuPAD research group at the University of Paderborn, Germany, development was taken over by the company SciFace Software GmbH & Co...
have comparable interfaces.
See also
- Code generation (compiler)
- Code optimization (compiler)Compiler optimizationCompiler optimization is the process of tuning the output of a compiler to minimize or maximize some attributes of an executable computer program. The most common requirement is to minimize the time taken to execute a program; a less common one is to minimize the amount of memory occupied...
- Comparison of code generation toolsComparison of code generation toolsThis article compares variable metamodel code generation tools . Fixed metamodel code generation tools, such as UML tools, are excluded .- Technical :...
- Template processorTemplate processorA template processor is software or a software component that is designed to combine one or moretemplates with a data model to produceone or more result documents...
- Source-to-source compilerSource-to-source compilerA source-to-source compiler is a type of compiler that takes a high level programming language as its input and outputs a high level language. For example, an automatic parallelizing compiler will frequently take in a high level language program as an input and then transform the code and annotate...
- Model Driven Engineering (MDE)
- Model Driven ArchitectureModel-driven architectureModel-driven architecture is a software design approach for the development of software systems. It provides a set of guidelines for the structuring of specifications, which are expressed as models. Model-driven architecture is a kind of domain engineering, and supports model-driven engineering of...
(MDA) - Domain-Specific ModelingDomain-Specific ModelingDomain-specific modeling is a software engineering methodology for designing and developing systems, such as computer software. It involves systematic use of a domain-specific language to represent the various facets of a system...
(DSM) - Feature Oriented ProgrammingFeature Oriented ProgrammingFeature Oriented Programming or Feature Oriented Software Development is a general paradigm for program synthesis in software product lines....
- Program transformationProgram transformationA program transformation is any operation that takes a computer program and generates another program. In many cases the transformed program is required to be semantically equivalent to the original, relative to a particular formal semantics and in fewer cases the transformations result in programs...
- Modeling languageModeling languageA modeling language is any artificial language that can be used to express information or knowledge or systems in a structure that is defined by a consistent set of rules...
- Data transformationData transformationIn metadata and data warehouse, a data transformation converts data from a source data format into destination data.Data transformation can be divided into two steps:...
- Semantic translationSemantic translationSemantic translation is the process of using semantic information to aid in the translation of data in one representation or data model to another representation or data model...
- Vocabulary-based transformationVocabulary-based transformationIn metadata, a vocabulary-based transformation is a transformation aided by the use of a semantic equivalence statements within a controlled vocabulary.Many organizations today require communication between one or more computers...
- MetaprogrammingMetaprogrammingMetaprogramming is the writing of computer programs that write or manipulate other programs as their data, or that do part of the work at compile time that would otherwise be done at runtime...
- Language-oriented programmingLanguage-oriented programmingLanguage oriented programming is a style of computer programming in which, rather than solving problems in general-purpose programming languages, the programmer creates one or more domain-specific languages for the problem first, and solves the problem in those languages...
(LOP) - Object-oriented analysis and designObject-oriented analysis and designObject-oriented analysis and design is a software engineering approach that models a system as a group of interacting objects. Each object represents some entity of interest in the system being modeled, and is characterised by its class, its state , and its behavior...
(OOAD) - Unified Modeling LanguageUnified Modeling LanguageUnified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...
(UML)