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About this quote

What does it mean?
Wall notes that deciding how to spell a regex leads to further questions about what a reference returns.
In plain terms
Choosing a regex syntax triggers more decisions about its behavior.
What can you take from it?
Be prepared for cascading design choices.

Where it applies

  • programming language design
  • parser implementation

Putting it to work

  • document naming conventions
  • define return values early

Questions to consider

  • How far should you go in defining language details before settling?

Another view

It can become an endless loop of decisions.

More from Larry Wall

  1. That should probably be written: no !@#$%^&*:@!semicolon

    Permalink to quote #144

  2. 'Course, that doesn't work when 'a' contains parentheses.

    Permalink to quote #146

  3. The Harvard Law states: Under controlled conditions of light, temperature, humidity, and nutrition, the organism will do as it damn well pleases.

    Permalink to quote #143

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