Abstract:

Programming technology has improved immensely since its earliest days.

However, no single improvement can be classified as a silver bullet, 
despite all claims of its proponents. A vexing question is why there 
has been no silver bullet.A variety of programming improvements, i.e.,

models, methods, artifacts, and tools, are examined to determine that 
each has a step that programmers find painful enough that they 
habitually avoid or postpone the step. This pain is generally where 
the programming accident meets the essence of software and its 
relentless volatility. Hence, there is no silver bullet.It is claimed 
no substantial programming improvement can avoid all pain; therefore 
there will never be a silver bullet.