Software that generates applications from descriptions of the problem rather than traditional programming. Application generators are easier to use than programming languages such as C/C++ and Java, and one statement may generate a huge routine or even an entire program. However, they may also allow inserting regular source code when necessary. Generators are sometimes used to create prototypes that are later re-coded in traditional languages.
Results May Run Slower
These high-level programming systems may not support every processing function, and they may result in a lot of additional code that runs slower than normal. In most cases however, today's fast computers absorb the extra instructions without noticeable delay.
From Program Generators to AI
Although commercial programs are rarely written using program generators, AI is increasingly used to write some of the code, and this is expected to increase rapidly (see
AI programming). See
CASE,
RPG,
application development system and
foundation classes.