Programminghave

Programminghave is a term used in speculative and fictional contexts to describe the idea of embedding programmable capability into everyday objects, services, and workflows. It is not an established programming paradigm or standard, but rather a coined concept used to explore how people might interact with code as a ubiquitous property of daily life.

Although not formalized, the phrase has appeared in speculative essays, design fiction, and hobbyist discourse to illustrate the potential future where programming concepts are more visible and accessible to non-experts. In these narratives, programminghave acts as a bridge between high-level computation and tangible artifacts.

Conceptually, programminghave refers to systems and practices that enable end users to program or control ordinary things—devices, environments, and processes—without requiring extensive software development training. This typically involves user-friendly interfaces, abstractions, and components such as visual programming environments, microcontrollers, and Internet of Things platforms. The goal is to enable customization, automation, and experimentation at a low barrier to entry while preserving safety and maintainability.

Applications commonly imagined include smart home automations, educational kits for teaching algorithmic thinking, rapid prototyping of services, and creative coding projects. Critics warn that the term risks vagueness and can obscure real software engineering challenges, including security, privacy, interoperability, and long-term maintenance.

See also: end-user programming, computational thinking, maker culture, educational technology.