[Sigia-l] Construction vs software

[Boniface Lau]

> From: sigia-l-admin at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-admin at asis.org]On
> Behalf Of Listera
>  
> Interesting article detailing how building applications is not
> analogous to building buildings and how we should abandon the
> comparison.
> 
> <http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/3/13/211831/159>

The article confuses software with its specification. Software is the
collection of 1s and 0s executed by a computer CPU. That which created
by software developers using programming languages (C#, Java, Fortran,
Cobol, etc.) is actually low level software specification. The
specification tells compilers/linkers how to construct the collection
of 1s and 0s that can be executed by a CPU.

Thus, comparing software development with building construction is
comparing apples(development) with oranges(construction). The proper
comparison with construction is compiling/linking.

Before construction can start, construction workers need a building
plan telling them where to put up walls, doors, windows, etc. In the
software field, "construction workers" are compilers/linkers;
"building plan" is the specification expressed in programming
language.


Boniface