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It seems logical to me to lose coding to machines. I can't believe an untrained person couldn't just check boxes on a page and a software program isn't written to a thumb drive to use where the program is needed. Just as Web pages were cranked out by the millions by the people using them, it seems to me that even complicated programs could be designed by checking boxes or even voice commands to render an end product. Writing accounting software for a specific business with unique problems is still accounting software. The code would just have to be modified for the unique cases in the specific business. Needing coders for every single use seems naive to me.

The farmers used to say we still need workers to pick certain fruits or certain crops, but today almost all have machines to pick the crop, even strawberries. I can't see why someone hasn't invented a program to pick from column "A" and add Column "B" to make a specialized program for "C". There are already thousands of on the record routines that could be adapted to almost anything.

Your suggestion for cut and paste programming is part and parcel to what the Java library is all about.

That said, it takes a great deal of understanding to make the interfaces correct and bullet proof. This is very advanced stuff, and while I support people taking elementary programming (to understand how computers work, and to see if you enjoy this option), the idea of cutting and pasting programs will not work without pretty much understanding all the pieces.

I can't believe an untrained person couldn't just check boxes on a page...

Well, no. It just doesn't work that way. And it never will.

There have been plenty of company executives who wanted it to work that way. They spent huge amounts of money on "code generator" products that promised exactly what you propose. All for naught.

Every decade or so a new generation of executives (and investors) will fall for the same pitches about a new miracle product. As P.T Barnum said, "There is a sucker born every minute."

"Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies" (Fleetwood Mac)

Writing program generators is a specialty of mine.

I generally create software in plain old C but when I do a generator I use Delphi.

My main specialty is pattern recognition...there are not many of us that do that so I’m on a lot of short lists to call upon for that.

Nowadays I mostly just make strange gizmos using micro-controllers and program them in C....Embedded Systems.
I build, and consult on. micro-controller powered embedded medical devices like pacemakers , neuro-stimulators, FES..and such like.

I also enjoy adding high-tech features to old military gear...it’s fun...and easier than one might think.

I will NOT work on actual weapons of war though...a rule I have stuck to except for a very few exceptional cases where I considered the good to outweigh the bad by a large margin.
I refused to do work on a weapons system just last week...the guy was pissed as he could tell I already had an idea of how to fix their problem after it was described to me.

Actually, I mostly sit here on my ass browsing FreeRepublic, and wait to meet my maker..it won’t be long :-)