If you see "programming" as "writing code" then I can see where that joy is lost. If you see "programming" as "creating software" then you can maintain that joy. I would argue the goal has always been to write less code. That has driven the design of programming languages for the past 50 years.

But if you see programming as creating the semantics of software, it's unclear whether being limited to design documents is satisfactory.

Thanks for this. It helps to rethink one's motives.