It is entirely possible to develop and 'grow' algorithms through a process
which models evolution through natural selection. This has been
demonstrated albeit at a simple level here in the monastery. A search
should turn up the relevant threads. I know of no actual production code
which has been developed using this method, so calling it a development
methodology is a tad premature.
I totally neglected, though intended, to bring up evolutionary programming
in the sense of genetic algorithms and the like. These do try to mimic
important aspects of biological evolution and are, IMHO, quite properly
associated with biological evolutionary concepts. Note, read some papers in genetic
algorithms and methodology and the researchers nearly always discuss the
particular mechanisms they are trying to model, and how their models differ
from models in evolutionary biology.
But no one in those fields is even suggesting that genetic algorithms could
be usefully applied in the design and implementation of even a simple text
editor. At least not at the present state of the field.
I was only referring to the use of evolutionary principles in the larger
software design and development methodologies. That is an important
clarification, thanks!
