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{{short description|Ironic phrase in software development}}

In [[software development]], '''small matter of programming''' ('''SMOP''') or '''simple matter of programming''' is a phrase used to ironically indicate that a suggested feature or design change would in fact require a great deal of effort; it often implies that the person proposing the feature underestimates its cost. Such underestimated costs are common during [[Cost estimation in software engineering|cost estimation]], particularly near the beginning of a project.

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In [[software development]], '''small matter of programming''' ('''SMOP''') or '''simple matter of programming''' is a phrase used to ironically indicate that a suggested feature or design change would in fact require a great deal of effort; it often implies that the person proposing the feature underestimates its cost. Such underestimated costs are common during [[Cost estimation in software engineering|cost estimation]], particularly near the beginning of a project.

It points out that although the change is clearly possible, it would be very laborious to perform. It often implies that the person proposing the feature underestimates its cost.

==Background==

===Definitions===

The 1983 [[Jargon File]] describes an SMOP as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jargon-file.org/archive/jargon-1.5.0.dos.txt |title=The Hacker's Dictionary [Jargon File, version 1.5.0] |access-date=2019-03-17}}</ref>

{{quote|'''SMOP''' (ess'em'oh'pee') noun.

:A piece of program code, not yet written, whose anticipated length is significantly greater than its intellectual complexity.

:This term is used to refer to a program that could obviously be written but is not worth the trouble. It is also used ironically to imply that a difficult problem can be easily solved because a program can be written to do it. The irony is that it is very clear that writing such a program will be a great deal of work. Example: "It's easy to change a FORTRAN compiler to compile COBOL as well; it's just a small matter of programming."

:An acronym for "a Small Matter Of Programming". A piece of program code, not yet written, whose anticipated length is significantly greater than its intellectual complexity.

The IBM Jargon Dictionary<ref>[https://comlay.net/ibmjarg.pdf SMOP] IBM Jargon Dictionary, Tenth Edition 1990</ref> defines it as:

:This term is used to refer to a program that could obviously be written but is not worth the trouble. It is also used ironically to imply that a difficult problem can be easily solved because a program can be written to do it. The irony is that it is very clear that writing such a program will be a great deal of work. Example: "It's easy to change a FORTRAN compiler to compile COBOL as well; it's just a small matter of programming."

:'''SMOP''' (''smop'') ''n.'' Something quite possible, but requiring unavailable resources to achieve. "Why isn't that function available in the program?" − "It's just a Simple Matter Of Programming". (The implication being that, given a few person-centuries, all things are possible.) Also '''SMOUP''' (''smoop''), a Simple Matter Of Micro-Programming (if handwritten, using a Greek mu). See also ''how hard would it be.''

Example: "It's easy to change a FORTRAN compiler to compile COBOL as well; it's just a small matter of programming."}}

===Usage===

The IBM Jargon Dictionary defines SMOP as:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://havantcivicsociety.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ibmjarg.pdf|quote=SMOP|title=''IBM Jargon Dictionary, Tenth Edition''|publisher=[[IBM]]|year=1990|page=53|access-date=22 March 2019}}</ref>

:{{quote|'''SMOP''' (''smop'') ''n.'' Something quite possible, but requiring unavailable resources to achieve. "Why isn't that function available in the program?" − "It's just a Simple Matter Of Programming". (The implication being that, given a few person-centuries, all things are possible.) Also '''SMOUP''' (''smoop''), a Simple Matter Of Micro-Programming (if handwritten, using a Greek [[Mu_(letter)|mu]]). See also ''how hard would it be.''}}

===Usage===

SMOP was among the "games" described in an article as paralleling the ''[[Games People Play (book)|Games People Play]]'' identified by Dr. [[Eric Berne]] in the field of self-help psychology.<ref>{{Citation | last = Shedley | first = Ethan I. | title = [[Big System Games]] | magazine = [[Datamation]] | volume = 17 | issue = 7 | pages = 22–25 | publisher = Technical Publishing Company, 1301 South Grove Ave., Barrington, Illinois 60010 | date = April 1, 1971 }}</ref> The game essentially consists of proposing seemingly simple adjustments to a design, leading to unexpected consequences and delays.

Alternative phrases such as '''Simplesimple matter of software''' or '''small matter of software''' isare occasionally used in the same manner. However, itthe phrase is also used without irony<ref>{{cite journal |title= ONDI – The ON-line Device Interface |journal= Circuit Cellar INK Thethe computerComputer Applications Journal |author= John Dybowski |issue= 18 |date= January 1991 |page= 16 |url= http://www.pestingers.net/pdfs/other-computers/circuit-cellar/1990/circuit-cellar-018.pdf |quote= This turns out to be an almost trivial exercise, mainly because the computer is used to compute and the controller to control. Just a simple matter of software. }}</ref> to indicate that straightforward [[Software engineering|software development]] is all that is required to resolve some issue. This usage is often invoked when the speaker wants to contrast the implied ease of software changes with the suggested greater difficulty of making a hardware change or a change to an [[Standardization|industry standard]]. This non-ironic usage is more often invoked by [[senior management]] and [[Hardware architect|hardware engineers]], than it is by software engineers.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}}

The term was also explored and expanded upon by computer scientist [[Bonnie Nardi]] in her 1993 book ''A Small Matter of Programming: Perspectives on End User Computing''.<ref>{{cite book

* {{cite book | last=Nardi | first=Bonnie A.| author-link=Bonnie Nardi | year=1993 | title=A Small Matter of Programming: Perspectives on End User Computing | publisher=[[MIT Press]] |year ___location=1993Cambridge | isbn=9780262140539978-0-262-14053-9 |oclc url=874321540https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/small-matter-programming |authorlinkoclc=Bonnie Nardi874321540}}</ref>

==See also==

* {{annotated link|Ninety–ninety rule}}

* [[Ninety-ninety rule]]

* [[{{annotated link|Hofstadter's law]]}}

* [[{{annotated link|Hard–easy effect]]}}

* [[{{annotated link|Planning fallacy]]}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

* {{cite book|last=Nardi |first=Bonnie A. |title=A Small Matter of Programming: Perspectives on End User Computing |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |year=1993 |isbn=9780262140539 |oclc=874321540 |authorlink=Bonnie Nardi}}

[[Category:Anti-patterns]]

[[Category:Computer jargon]]

[[Category:Software project management]]