Alan Perlis was an American computer scientist known for his contributions to the field of programming languages and software engineering. He was a pioneer in the development of early programming languages and made significant contributions to computer science education. Perlis's work in advancing programming theory and practice has had a lasting impact on the development of modern computing.
"You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN."
"Is it possible that software is not like anything else, that it is meant to be discarded: that the whole point is to always see it as a soap bubble?"
"Some programming languages manage to absorb change, but withstand progress."
"In English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages."
"Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it."
"The 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."
"A programming language is low level when its programs require attention to the irrelevant."
"It goes against the grain of modern education to teach students to program. What fun is there to making plans, acquiring discipline, organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail, and learning to be self critical."