#else /* !STDSTDIO */ /* The big, slow, and stupid way */
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The comment describes a code path that is deliberately inefficient and clunky.
- In plain terms
- It points out a slow, messy way of doing something.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid unnecessarily complex or inefficient implementations.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does this affect maintainability?
- When is it acceptable to prioritize clarity over speed?
Another view
Sometimes a slower method is used for compatibility or simplicity.
More from Larry Wall
/* This bit of chicanery makes a unary function followed by a parenthesis into a function with one argument, highest precedence. */
Permalink to quote #264 Be consistent.
Permalink to quote #265 Does the same as the system call of that name. If you don't know what it does, don't worry about it.
Permalink to quote #266
Related quotes
Perl is designed to give you several ways to do anything, so consider picking the most readable one.
Larry WallLarry Wall quote #272 Premature optimization is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming.
Donald KnuthDonald Knuth quote #1 Although the Perl Slogan is There's More Than One Way to Do It, I hesitate to make 10 ways to do something. :-)
Larry WallLarry Wall quote #1