Ask HN: What is the future of programming?

#1

Post by thewarrior » Tue, Aug 07, 2018, 1:11 PM UTC

What do you see as the future of programming ?

How do you see things evolving over the next 5,10,30 years ?

Re: Ask HN: What is the future of programming?

#2

Post by meiraleal » Tue, Aug 07, 2018, 2:17 PM UTC

I think it will look like magic, literally. With mind controlling drones, virtual glasses and realities.

Re: Ask HN: What is the future of programming?

#3

Post by AnimalMuppet » Tue, Aug 07, 2018, 5:23 PM UTC

It won't look like formal proofs. It won't look like mathematics.

That said, there will be progress in having the compiler prove that the program doesn't contain certain errors.

Re: Ask HN: What is the future of programming?

#4

Post by pyzhianov » Tue, Aug 07, 2018, 6:03 PM UTC

I might switch back to Vim

Re: Ask HN: What is the future of programming?

#5

Post by diegojromero » Tue, Aug 07, 2018, 6:21 PM UTC

'The future of Programming' by Bret Victor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pTEmbeENF4). Seems a pun about OP title but it really is related with his/her question. Take a look and you will be amazed of how good (or revolutionary by our standards) some old technologies were.

Re: Ask HN: What is the future of programming?

#6

Post by negadave » Tue, Aug 07, 2018, 8:01 PM UTC

I think it looks like Python 3!

Re: Ask HN: What is the future of programming?

#7

Post by sgillen » Tue, Aug 07, 2018, 8:24 PM UTC

I think we’ll start seeing a lot more formal verification or at least well tested software. Especially with the rise of drones, robotics, self driving cars etc making bugs much more harmful/deadly in a lot of places. I think for some of these cases the govt will actually step in like they have with aviation. This will make writing software a lot more bueracratic I imagine.

Re: Ask HN: What is the future of programming?

#8

Post by UK-Al05 » Wed, Aug 08, 2018, 12:07 PM UTC

I think the future we'll start with unit tests/proofs and then computer will search the solution space find code passes those constraints. The code search will use heuristics.

We'll have to become good at writing those tests, but we won't implement the actual code as much anymore.

I think this the real solution to the "low-code" idea.

Another potential option is simular but the tests will be input/output demonstrations for the computer, and it will figure out the code. It won't be as correct as the first option, but might be good for software that values speed over correctness. Some bad cases may slip through.