Small matter of programming: Difference between revisions

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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. The 1983 [[Jargon File]] describes an SMOP as follows:<ref>[{{cite web|url=http://www.catbjargon-file.org/archive/jargon/html/S/SMOP-1.5.0.htmldos.txt Simple|title=The MatterHacker's ofDictionary Programming] ([[Jargon File]], version 41.45.7)0] |access-date=2019-03-17}}</ref> as:

:#A piece of program code, not yet written, whose anticipated length is significantly greater than its intellectual complexity. Used
:This term is used to refer to a program that could obviously be written, but is not worth the trouble. AlsoIt is also used ironically to imply that a difficult problem can be easily solved because a program can be written to do it;. theThe irony is that it is very clear that writing such a program will be a great deal of work. Example: "It's easy to enhancechange a FORTRAN compiler to compile COBOL as well; it's just a SMOPsmall matter of programming."

:#Often used ironically by the intended victim when a suggestion for a program is made which seems easy to the suggester, but is obviously (to the victim) a lot of work. Compare ''[http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/M/minor-detail.html minor detail]''.

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