unstructured programming
/ʌnˈstrʌk.tʃɚd ˈproʊ.ɡræm.ɪŋ/ · un·struc·tured prog·ram·ming
noun
- A style of computer programming that lacks a disciplined, hierarchical structure, often relying on arbitrary jumps such as GOTO statements, making the code difficult to read, maintain, and debug. The legacy system was written in unstructured programming, so every new feature required a careful audit of the tangled control flow.
Synonyms
spaghetti codeunstructured codegoto‑driven codefree‑form programmingad‑hoc codingchaotic programmingnon‑structured programmingunorganized coding
Antonyms
Did you know? The term gained prominence after Edsger Dijkstra’s 1968 letter “Go To Statement Considered Harmful,” which sparked the structured programming movement and gave programmers a convenient label for the chaotic alternative.