Channeling the Flow – A Metaphor for Computer Programs

What do we do when we program computers? A standard general answer could be that by writing a program we create a process. Here, we entertain a different metaphor: _programming as shaping an existing process by constraints_. By emphasizing constraining over construction, we liken writing code to other activities like engineering and playing board games. Our goal is to enrich the experience of computer programming and deepen its understanding by a possibly challenging analogy. A new appreciation might be of use at the age when humans are about to stop doing this activity.