OK. So here is my opinion.
I'll go into why at the end of this post
Science Pronunciation [sahy-uhns] -noun
- a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences.
- systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.
- any of the branches of natural or physical science.
- systematized knowledge in general.
- knowledge, as of facts or principles; knowledge gained by systematic study.
- a particular branch of knowledge.
- skill, esp. reflecting a precise application of facts or principles; proficiency.
Art Pronunciation [ahrt] -noun
- the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic
principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary
significance.
- the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art
collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an
art collection.
- a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an art.
- the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: art and
architecture.
- any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art;
industrial art.
- (in printed matter) illustrative or decorative material: Is there any
art with the copy for this story?
- the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning:
the art of baking; the art of selling.
- the craft or trade using these principles or methods.
- skill in conducting any human activity: a master at the art of
conversation.
- a branch of learning or university study, esp. one of the fine arts
or the humanities, as music, philosophy, or literature.
- skilled workmanship, execution, or agency, as distinguished from
nature.
- trickery; cunning: glib and devious art.
- studied action; artificiality in behavior.
- an artifice or artful device: the innumerable arts and wiles of
politics.
- Archaic. science, learning, or scholarship.
Craft Pronunciation [kraft, krahft] -noun
- an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, esp. manual
skill: the craft of a mason.
- skill; dexterity: The silversmith worked with great craft.
- skill or ability used for bad purposes; cunning; deceit; guile.
- the members of a trade or profession collectively; a guild.
- a ship or other vessel.
- a number of ships or other vessels taken as a whole: The craft were
warned of possible heavy squalls.
- aircraft collectively.
- a single aircraft.
- -verb (used with object)
to make or manufacture (an object, objects, product, etc.) with skill
and careful attention to detail.
OK. I cheated a bit :)
Software development is treated by many as an ART. Often a black art. Everything is built by hand. Slow, inefficient, and prone to error, but beautiful to its creator.
It is really a CRAFT. Something done with consideration, consistency and attention to detail. Note the word consistency.
Profitable software development needs to be approached as much as possible as a SCIENCE. Controlled, automatic processes that produce consistent, quality code quickly.
Upwards of 90% of software development is "boiler-plate", code written to do the basic things that need to be done to get to the fun stuff. Read, Write and Delete data. Populate a screen. Accept user input. All of this can be reduced to a science. Work out how to do it once, and create a system that can do it for you.
The remaining 10% is that art that keeps this a craft rather than a pure science. It has to do with understanding what people need, and how they want to interact with it.