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The State of Natural Language Programming

Posted by michael on from the =-NE-== dept.

gManZboy writes "Brad Meyers (and co) of the Human Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon have written an interesting paper about the state of natural language programming. They point out that well understood HCI principles aren't finding their way into relatively new languages like Java and C#."

9 of 387 comments (clear)

  1. Proposal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If
    Natural Language is not making its way into Programming
    Then
    Programming should make its way into Natural Language
    Else
    Continue

  2. Doesn't seem to say much. by BigZaphod · · Score: 2, Funny

    The article seems like some kind of summary. Unless I missed something important, like, a second page or something. But basically, it seems to suggest that, even after all these years, we still aren't any closer to having a natural way to program. Huh.

    --
    Hexy - a strategy game for iPhone/iPod Touch
  3. Is it any wonder? by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
    > They point out that well understood HCI principles aren't finding their way into relatively new languages like Java and C#."

    Well, duh! That's because if, according to the article...

    > The goal is to make it possible for people to express their ideas in the same way they think about them.

    ...most ideas just don't work that way.

    #include // Do What I Mean

    thingy main (thingy list) { Sort thingy
    No, like this
    With the guy's name on the right
    No, I guess the middle initial deserves its own column. No, I didn't think of that.
    But don't print the middle initial.
    No, not like that.
    Eew, that font sucks.
    Yeah, like that.
    No, like it was before.
    Yeah, no--wait. I gotta talk to my boss.
    He said to do it like this. // wave hands
    But he didnt like it.
    Fuck this, I'll pay some guy in India to do it.
    }

  4. Not gonna work by JohnGrahamCumming · · Score: 5, Funny

    Given the state of natural language on /. this isn't going to work :-)

    John.

  5. on a bumper sticker by devphil · · Score: 5, Funny


    YOU FORTH LOVE IF HONK THEN

    And here's some filler text to compensate for /.'s sucktacular lameness filter. Blah blah blah. "It won't be any more frightening than the time I climbed up an elevator shaft with my teeth," said Sunny.

    --
    You cannot apply a technological solution to a sociological problem. (Edwards' Law)
  6. Re:Natural language programming. by Moofie · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't think that anybody who spells their name like that gets to talk about "natural language".

    (it's a joke, people!)

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  7. Tourette's: the natural language of programmers by BrakesForElves · · Score: 2, Funny

    Programmers sit serenely, silently coding for hours at a stretch.

    Then they execute the code for the first time, see the results, and scream out SHEEEIIIIT, GODDAMN IT!!!

    Hence, to an outside observer, the natural language of programmers is indistinguishable from a case of Tourette's Syndrome.

    --
    About the word "if": If bullfrogs had wings, they wouldn't bounce around on their little green butts.
  8. Perl version by Black+Perl · · Score: 3, Funny
    $_ =
    q[ for ( @_ ) { push @_, sort grep /\w+/, @_ } print unpack 'A*', pack 'B*', join '',
    reverse map
    { length ( $_ ) >> 1 }
    split /\S+/
    ];eval
    --
    bp
  9. Re:Applescript by ampathee · · Score: 2, Funny

    God that reminds me of the old "guess the command" puzzles in old text-adventures.

    One of the wall panels sounds hollow.
    > PUSH PANEL
    You can't do that.
    > TAP PANEL
    You can't do that.
    > PRESS PANEL
    Nothing happens
    . ..(much typing, and thesaurusing) ..
    > CARESS PANEL
    The panel slides open.

    I hope NL Programming wouldn't be bringing back that sort of thing..