cargo cult programming
<programming, humour> A style of (incompetent) programming dominated by
ritual inclusion of code or program structures that serve no real purpose. A
cargo cult programmer will usually explain the extra code as a way of working
around some bug encountered in the past, but usually neither the bug nor the
reason the code apparently avoided the bug was ever fully understood (compare
shotgun debugging, voodoo programming).
The term "cargo cult" is a reference to aboriginal religions that grew up in the
South Pacific after World War II. The practices of these cults centre on
building elaborate mockups of aeroplanes and military style landing strips in
the hope of bringing the return of the god-like aeroplanes that brought such
marvelous cargo during the war. Hackish usage probably derives from Richard
Feynman's characterisation of certain practices as "cargo cult science" in his
book "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman" (W. W. Norton & Co, New York 1985, ISBN
0-393-01921-7).
[Jargon File]
(2002-05-28)
Nearby terms:
Career Limiting Move « caret « careware « cargo cult
programming » Caribou CodeWorks » Carl Friedrich Gauss »
Carnegie Mellon University
