A good programming language is a conceptual universe for thinking about programming.
ALAN PERLISIf a listener nods his head when you’re explaining your program, wake him up.
More Alan Perlis Quotes
-
-
In computing, the mean time to failure keeps getting shorter.
ALAN PERLIS -
You can measure a programmer’s perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN.
ALAN PERLIS -
I don’t think we are. I think we’re responsible for stretching them, setting them off in new directions, and keeping fun in the house.
ALAN PERLIS -
There is no such thing as a free variable.
ALAN PERLIS -
Syntactic sugar causes cancer of the semicolon.
ALAN PERLIS -
Because of its vitality, the computing field is always in desperate need of new cliches.
ALAN PERLIS -
A picture is worth 10K words – but only those to describe the picture.
ALAN PERLIS -
In programming, as in everything else, to be in error is to be reborn.
ALAN PERLIS -
Like seeing, movement or flow or alteration of view is more important than the static picture, no matter how lovely.
ALAN PERLIS -
Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.
ALAN PERLIS -
Optimization hinders evolution.
ALAN PERLIS -
In English every word can be verbed.
ALAN PERLIS -
Everything should be built top-down, except the first time.
ALAN PERLIS -
In software systems it is often the early bird that makes the worm.
ALAN PERLIS -
If you have a procedure with 10 parameters, you probably missed some.
ALAN PERLIS