Alan Perlis
Alan Perlis
Alan Jay Perliswas an American computer scientist known for his pioneering work in programming languages and the first recipient of the Turing Award...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth1 April 1922
CountryUnited States of America
hard-work easy-work problem
Dealing with failure is easy: Work hard to improve. Success is also easy to handle: You've solved the wrong problem. Work hard to improve.
two purpose program
Every program has (at least) two purposes: the one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't.
language english-language programming-languages
In English every word can be verbed.
ideas responsible willing
Don't have good ideas if you aren't willing to be responsible for them.
analysis logic cases
Programmers are not to be measured by their ingenuity and their logic but by the completeness of their case analysis.
change vices computer
It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.
attitude perspective vitality
You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN.
men variables constant
One man's constant is another man's variable.
writing program
Once you understand how to write a program get someone else to write it.
views mind lovely
One can only display complex information in the mind. Like seeing, movement or flow or alteration of view is more important than the static picture, no matter how lovely.
fun philosophy bittersweet
Every reader should ask himself periodically “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.
compassion students computer
When a professor insists computer science is X but not Y, have compassion for his graduate students.
computer computer-science embarrassed
Computer Science is embarrassed by the computer.
program explaining ifs
If a listener nods his head when you're explaining your program, wake him up.