Automated Code Generation - Good or Bad?

Do automated code generators increase or decrease a programmer's productivity in the long run? I think when the task is writing trivial repeatable code, then code generators definitely increase productivity, but for non-trivial code... maybe not.

Here is Charles Petzold's view in a brilliantly written article.

An interesting article on API design

When we create software for an end user, we ensure a good user experience by designing a simple, usable, and efficient user interface. When we create a library or an API we must ensure a good user experience by making it simple to understand, efficient to use, and resilient to future changes. Some very basic principles that provide a good guide for creating an API. Some principles are:

• Design to evolve.

• Correctness, then simplicity, then efficiency.

• Interfaces are overvalued.

• Be careful with packages.

These principles have been borrowed from a blog posted on Artima.com. You can read it here.