Am 20.08.2011 11:49, schrieb Orchid XP v8:
> Lest anyone doubt this, at uni we learned about something called
> Computer Aided Software Engineering ("CASE"). We used a tool called
> Rational Rose. You draw various class diagrams, flowcharts, etc., and
> then press a button, and it spits out C++ source code. If your diagrams
> are detailed enough, the generated code actually compiles and runs, and
> *is* "the finished system".

Similarly, Matlab/Simulink allows you to write your program by visually 
"wiring" kind of "mathematic gates" (arithmetic ops, logical ops, 
integrators, differentiators, level triggers, signal generators, signal 
filters and what-have-you) and then have that translated to C and 
ultimately machine code. Seen that recently hands-on in production use, 
for the electronic controller of a car transmission.

> All without you ever writing a single line of code yourself. Or even
> knowing *how* to program C++.
>
> So yes, if your design is detailed enough, the translation is (or can be
> made) automatic.

... provided you trust the code generator.

Some portions of the car transmission software I mentioned were actually 
still written directly in C; those were responsible for fail-safe 
functions, so that even a bugs in the code generator couldn't possibly 
cause an accident. (I'm not sure how they verified the C compilation 
process though.)

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