literate-programming

Literate programming structures code and documentation together in narrative order, explaining design decisions and logic before the implementation. Using noweb, you write documentation first, then break code into named chunks that follow your explanation, making the reasoning behind your design immediately clear to readers.

Noweb is a literate programming tool that lets you weave documentation and code chunks together in a single source file. You write prose interspersed with named code blocks (like <<algorithm step>>), then use notangle to extract executable code and weave to generate readable documentation from the same source.

Use literate programming when documenting complex algorithms, architectural decisions, or intricate design patterns where the reasoning matters as much as the implementation. It enforces narrative-first planning and keeps documentation in sync with code throughout the development lifecycle.

Apply literate programming discipline when creating or editing .nw files by planning your narrative structure first, decomposing logic into well-named chunks, and using notangle and weave to regenerate code and documentation. Integrate this workflow with version control and CI/CD to maintain consistency across your project.

Yes. Literate programming integrates with standard development workflows; you version control the .nw source files, and automate the notangle and weave steps in your CI/CD pipeline to keep generated code and documentation synchronized and deployable.

Literate programming puts documentation first as the primary narrative, with code chunks embedded and explained within it; traditional documentation is secondary commentary added after code. This approach makes the design logic the core artifact, not an afterthought.