Optimization hinders evolution.
ALAN PERLISOptimization hinders evolution.
ALAN PERLISSome programming languages manage to absorb change, but withstand progress.
ALAN PERLISThe best book on programming for the layman is Alice in Wonderland, but that’s because it’s the best book on anything for the layman.
ALAN PERLISLearning French is trivial: the word for horse is cheval, and everything else follows in the same way.
ALAN PERLISBecause of its vitality, the computing field is always in desperate need of new cliches.
ALAN PERLISWe began to feel as if we really were responsible for the successful, error-free perfect use of these machines.
ALAN PERLISWork hard to improve. Success is also easy to handle.
ALAN PERLISWhen someone says, “I want a programming language in which I need only say what I want done,” give him a lollipop.
ALAN PERLISA picture is worth 10K words – but only those to describe the picture.
ALAN PERLISWhen it started out, it was an awful lot of fun. Of course, the paying customers got shafted every now and then, and after a while we began to take their complaints seriously.
ALAN PERLISTo understand a program, you must become both the machine and the program.
ALAN PERLISIt goes against the grain of modern education to teach children to program.
ALAN PERLISThere is no such thing as a free variable.
ALAN PERLISDealing with failure is easy.
ALAN PERLISYou can measure a programmer’s perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN.
ALAN PERLISOnce you understand how to write a program get someone else to write it.
ALAN PERLIS