PROG

Prog is an informal English abbreviation used in several domains to denote different concepts, depending on context. It most commonly refers to a program or programming, but it is also widely used as shorthand in music and in the scheduling language of events. Because it is a clipped form rather than a formal term, its meaning is determined by surrounding text.

In computing, prog commonly stands for program or programming. It appears as shorthand in documentation, comments, and file or variable names, and is often used as a generic placeholder for a small example program. It should be interpreted from context, as there is no standardized definition tied to all uses of prog in software engineering.

In music discourse, prog is short for progressive rock, a genre that emerged in the late 1960s and 1970s. Prog rock is characterized by extended compositions, complex rhythms, concept albums, and instrumental virtuosity. Prominent bands include Yes, Genesis, Rush, King Crimson, and Pink Floyd, though the term now covers a broader range of experimental rock acts.

In events and media, prog is also an abbreviation for the program or program schedule of a conference, festival, or broadcast. It refers to the planned lineup of performances, talks, or episodes. The use is common in British and other Commonwealth contexts, where one might refer to the event's prog rather than its schedule.

Because prog is a flexible abbreviation, readers should rely on context to identify which sense is intended. In most technical writing, it denotes a program or programming; in cultural writing, it often signals progressive rock.