Literate programming (LP) is a mix of programming and documentation. It is an approach to computer programming pioneered by Don Knuth. You write a file which combines both code and exposition. You then “tangle” the file to produce the source code of a program, and “weave” the file to produce its documentation. For a lot of great quotes about LP, see:
Initially, I wrote literate programs using Dave Gauer’s RubyLit. In August 2024, I experimented with noweb.
I am not much of a programmer, but I think that literate programming has really influenced the way that I think about programming. It’s one of those ideas that I keep coming back to.
Published: Aug 18, 2024 @ 19:15.
Last Modified: Apr 27, 2026 @ 22:29.
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