Continuing the evolution of easier-to-use computer programming (a lineage which includes tools ranging from assembly language to the spreadsheet), Metafor is a way to build “the scaffolding for a program.” This doesn’t mean that programmers will be out of work, but such software sketching might help to bridge the gap between programmers and non-programmers, in the same way that VBA helped bridge that gap. (I believe that naked objects attacks a similar problem from a different angle.) This obviously has implications for novices and folks who don’t understand formal problems as well. Via Roland Piquepaille’s Technology Trends, which also has links to some interesting PDFs regarding the language.
However, as most business programmers know, the complicated part of developing software is not in writing the code, but in defining the problem. Depending on how intelligent the Metafor parser is, such tools may help non-technical users prototype their problems by writing sets of stories outlining what they want to achieve. This would have two benefits. In one case, there may be users who have tasks that should be automated by software, but who cannot afford a developer. While definitely not available at the present time, perhaps such story based software could create simple, yet sufficient, applications. In addition, software sketching, especially if a crude program was the result, could help the focus of larger software, making it easier (and cheaper!) to prototype a complicated business problem. In this way, when a developer meets with the business user, they aren’t just discussing bullet points and static images, but an actual running program, however crude.
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