Editing Automatic programming (section)

{{short description|Type of computer programming}}

In [[computer science]], '''automatic programming'''<ref>Ricardo Aler Mur, "[http://www.evannai.inf.uc3m.es/et/icml06/aiptutorial.htm Automatic Inductive Programming] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073124/http://www.evannai.inf.uc3m.es/et/icml06/aiptutorial.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}", ''ICML 2006 Tutorial''. June 2006.</ref> is a type of [[computer programming]] in which some mechanism generates a [[computer program]], to allow human [[programmer]]s to write the code at a higher abstraction level.

There has been little agreement on the precise definition of automatic programming, mostly because its meaning has changed over time. [[David Parnas]], tracing the history of "automatic programming" in published research, noted that in the 1940s it described automation of the manual process of punching [[paper tape]]. Later it referred to translation of [[high-level programming language]]s like [[Fortran]] and [[ALGOL]]. In fact, one of the earliest programs identifiable as a [[compiler]] was called [[Autocode]]. [[David Parnas|Parnas]] concluded that "automatic programming has always been a [[euphemism]] for programming in a higher-level language than was then available to the programmer."<ref>D. L. Parnas. "[https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs99r/readings/parnas1.pdf Software Aspects of Strategic Defense Systems]." ''American Scientist''. November 1985.</ref>

[[Program synthesis]] is one type of automatic programming where a procedure is created from scratch, based on mathematical requirements.