Evolution of Naturalistic Programming: A Need

摘要

For years, researchers and programmers have studied, proposed, and reflected on how to enhance the expressive power of programming languages. One of the most popular thoughts on this matter is that natural language can be used as a programming tool. In this work, we review the state-of-the-art of naturalistic programming, whose goal is to achieve greater expressiveness in programming languages and better approach the user domain. We review the only three naturalistic general-purpose languages that can generate executable code by comparing them concerning a conceptual model - Pegasus, Cal-4700, and SN. We discuss the similarities and differences between each language. Then, we introduce and discuss some examples of computer programs developed with these languages, showing their level of expressiveness. Finally, we reflect on the findings that show the need for the paradigm to evolve having a software development method, to be considered as a formal proposal in Software Engineering.