Programming Is Diagramming Is Programming

摘要

It is said that “programming is writing is programming.” Both programming and writing involve high-level plans. Programming involves understanding the problem, creating a design, and coding. In this paper, we further explore the nature of programming based on the concept that “programming is diagramming.” A diagram can be coded,and both the code and diagram approximate the conceptual (mental) form of the programmer behind both. We adopt a new diagramming technique called a thinging machine (TM) and build a TM diagram of the solution to the involved problem, which is sliced to produce program statements, much as flowcharts are converted to code. The TM introduces a simplified form with its five basic operations, which are repeated throughout the flow of events until reaching the end of the solution description. A case study is given that establishes an account through which a usercan apply for a modeled job. The resulting diagram and program point to a viable approach to developing computer programs.