User since: Jan 03, 2001 at 23:47 UTC (24 years ago) Last here: Mar 18, 2024 at 17:20 UTC (30 weeks ago) Experience: 9360 Level: Prior (17) Writeups: 933 Location: city.toronto.on.ca Site: tadman.ca Image: Transport Tycoon Deluxe (Patched) User's localtime: Oct 13, 2024 at 21:37 -04 Scratchpad: View For this user: Search nodes

The connection between the language in which we think/program and the problems and solutions we can imagine is very close. For this reason restricting language features with the intent of eliminating programmer errors is at best dangerous.       -- Bjarne Stroustrup

Zen and Perl A modernized version of Takuan Soho's teachings: You need to realize that when you practice from the state of the beginner all the way to the stage of immutable wisdom, then you must go back to the status of the beginner again.      Let me explain in terms of Perl. As a beginner you know nothing of statements or regular expressions, so you have nothing in yourself to dwell on mentally. If someone asks you to program, you just program without thinking of anything.      Then, when you learn various things like packages, how to wield a regular expression, where to place your attention, and so on, your mind lingers on various points, so you find yourself all tangled up when you try to code.      But if you practice day after day and month after month, eventually statements and structure don't hang on your mind anymore, and you are like a beginner who knows nothing.

> l You are in a dim barn, with only a sprinkling of light making its way through from the boards above. In the center of the room is a large wooden chest which doesn't appear to be locked. > open chest You open the chest. Inside the chest is: A lantern. A map. A broken dagger. > get map You get the map. > use map You use a map in void context. You have lost 50 hp. You have DIED! [download]