A language that doesn’t affect the way you think about programming is not worth knowing.
ALAN PERLISA language that doesn’t affect the way you think about programming is not worth knowing.
ALAN PERLISIn English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages.
ALAN PERLISIt is better to have 100 functions operate on one data structure than to have 10 functions operate on 10 data structures.
ALAN PERLIS“Toward what end, toward what end?”-but do not ask it too often lest you pass up the fun of programming for the constipation of bittersweet philosophy.
ALAN PERLISWhat fun is there in making plans, acquiring discipline in organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail and learning to be self-critical?
ALAN PERLISIn the long run, every program becomes rococo, and then rubble.
ALAN PERLISEvery program has (at least) two purposes: the one for which it was written and another for which it wasn’t.
ALAN PERLISIf a listener nods his head when you’re explaining your program, wake him up.
ALAN PERLISOne can’t proceed from the informal to the formal by formal means.
ALAN PERLISIt is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.
ALAN PERLISAre more sure when you can write, even more when you can teach, but certain when you can program.
ALAN PERLISWork hard to improve. Success is also easy to handle.
ALAN PERLISIs it possible that software is not like anything else.
ALAN PERLISBanality soothes our nerves.
ALAN PERLISMotto for a research laboratory: what we work on today, others will first think of tomorrow.
ALAN PERLISIn computing, the mean time to failure keeps getting shorter.
ALAN PERLIS