gnisrap

From parsing spelled backwards. Introduced by Thomas R. G. Green in a 1987 paper.

• IPA^(key): /ˈnaɪsɹæp/

gnisrap (uncountable)

1. (programming) The cognitive process of creating a mental model of a computer program by reading the code.
   • 1987, Human-computer Interaction — INTERACT '87: Proceedings..., page 69:

     Similarly we believe our model could handle the different 'psychological complexity' levels of certain drawing programs to which Kiss and Pinder draw attention. In fact, our approach has much in common with theirs at the gnisrap end, but they do not consider the parsing side.

   • 1996, Wayne D. Gray, Deborah Ann Boehm-Davis, Empirical Studies of Programmers: Sixth Workshop, page 60:

     Green et al (1987) have proposed a number of extensions to Rist's model. In their parsing/gnisrap model of coding, they describe the process by which a skeletal plan is instantiated in a programming notation.

• parings, parsing, rapings, rasping, sparing