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Are there any programmers in Star Trek?



Star Trek, for being a show about the distant future and extraordinarily high-tech equipment, sure seems to be lacking a lot of computer programmers.


With technology as complex as it is, where are all the starship-based computer programmers responsible for preventing AI malfunctions aboard ships like the Enterprise?


More specifically, we hear plenty of references to having to 'program in' certain things - Picard is dismayed in "All Good Things" that the past Enterprise doesn't yet have an Earl Grey Tea program, and we see plenty of holodeck programming going on, but is all of this programming done explicitly by the crewmember who just wants a cup of tea or a nice stroll along a sandy beach?


In short: Are there any actual dedicated computer programmers in any Star Trek series or movie? Even one example of a person with such a job would satisfy.



Answer



Off the top of my head I can think of at least two examples;



Dr Zimmerman is responsible for developing the software for the EMH (Emergency Medical Hologram). He works at Jupiter station. His job title is explicitly stated as being "Director of Holographic Imaging and Programming" in the DS9 episode Doctor Bashir, I Presume.


Dr Zimmerman




In the TNG episode "11001001" two pairs of Bynar programmers (named 11, 00, 10 and 01) come on board the Enterprise to perform an upgrade to the ship's operating system and holodeck systems.


The Bynars


Regarding 'ordinary' programmers, there's a tangential reference in TNG: Home Soil to the ship having a "programmers’ restroom". This room seems to be connected (or at least near to) Main Engineering:



RIKER: Status, Ensign?


ENGINEER: The quarantine seal is getting weaker. Every time I try to redirect backup... it goes somewhere else. (feeling crazy) I think I've... it's... locked three people in a turbolift and two more in the programmers' restroom.



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