Donald E. Knuth introduces the concept of "Literate Programming" in this paper, advocating for a new approach to programming where documentation and explanation are prioritized over mere instruction. He proposes that programs should be treated as works of literature, with a focus on clarity and human understanding. Knuth describes the WEB system, which combines a document formatting language (TeX) and a programming language (PASCAL) to generate both executable code and high-quality documentation. The system uses two processors: WEAVE, which generates human-readable documentation, and TANGLE, which produces the machine-executable code. Knuth provides a detailed example of a program that prints the first thousand prime numbers, demonstrating how the WEB system works in practice. He also discusses additional features of the WEB system, such as macro definitions, control over formatting, and support for large programs. The paper concludes with a discussion of Occam's Razor, emphasizing simplicity and practicality in the design of the WEB system.Donald E. Knuth introduces the concept of "Literate Programming" in this paper, advocating for a new approach to programming where documentation and explanation are prioritized over mere instruction. He proposes that programs should be treated as works of literature, with a focus on clarity and human understanding. Knuth describes the WEB system, which combines a document formatting language (TeX) and a programming language (PASCAL) to generate both executable code and high-quality documentation. The system uses two processors: WEAVE, which generates human-readable documentation, and TANGLE, which produces the machine-executable code. Knuth provides a detailed example of a program that prints the first thousand prime numbers, demonstrating how the WEB system works in practice. He also discusses additional features of the WEB system, such as macro definitions, control over formatting, and support for large programs. The paper concludes with a discussion of Occam's Razor, emphasizing simplicity and practicality in the design of the WEB system.