Promptware is emerging as a new software paradigm where natural language prompts replace traditional code to interact with LLMs and perform complex tasks.

• Introduces systematic engineering methodologies for prompt development lifecycle
• Identifies unique challenges of promptware: ambiguity, non-determinism, and lack of structure
• Proposes adapting software engineering principles (testing, version control, maintenance) to prompt development
• Establishes a specialized framework for promptware engineering distinct from traditional software development

This research bridges the gap between ad-hoc prompt crafting and disciplined engineering approaches, enabling more reliable, maintainable LLM-driven applications in production environments.

Promptware Engineering: Software Engineering for LLM Prompt Development