Literate programming is a programming methodology that combines a programming language with a documentation language, making programs more robust, more portable, and more easily maintained than programs written only in a high-level language. Computer programmers already know both kinds of languages; they need only learn a few conventions about alternating between languages to create programs that are works of literature. A literate programmer is an essayist who writes programs for humans to understand, instead of primarily writing instructions for machines to follow. When programs are written in the recommended style they can be transformed into documents by a document compiler and into efficient code by an algebraic compiler. This anthology of essays from the inventor of literate programming includes Knuth's early papers on related topics such as structured programming, as well as the Computer Journal article that launched literate programming itself.
- ISBN10 0937073806
- ISBN13 9780937073803
- Publish Date 1 June 1992 (first published 30 March 1992)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 7 July 2021
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Centre for the Study of Language & Information
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 384
- Language English
- URL http://wiley.com/remtitle.cgi?isbn=9780937073803