The Tao of Programming
Translated by Geoffrey James
BOOK 1
The Silent Void
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"When you have learned to snatch the error code from the trap
frame, it will be time for you to leave."
1.1
Something mysterious is formed, born in the silent void.
Waiting alone and unmoving,
it is at once still and yet in constant motion.
It is the source of all programs.
I do not know its name, so I will call it
the Tao of Programming.
If the Tao is great, then the operating system is great.
If the operating system is great, then the compiler is great.
If the compiler is great, then the application is great.
The user is pleased, and there is harmony in the world.
The Tao of Programming flows far away
and returns on the wind of morning.
1.2
The Tao gave birth to machine language.
Machine language gave birth to the assembler.
The assembler gave birth to the compiler.
Now there are ten thousand languages.
Each language has its purpose, however humble.
Each language expresses the Yin and Yang of software.
Each language has its place within the Tao.
But do not program in COBOL if you can avoid it.
1.3
In the beginning was the Tao.
The Tao gave birth to Space and Time.
Therefore Space and Time are the Yin and Yang
Of programming.
Programmers that do not comprehend the Tao
are always
running out of
time and space
for
their
programs.
Programmers that comprehend the Tao
Always have enough time and space
To accomplish their goals.
How could it be otherwise?
1.4
The wise programmer is told about Tao and follows it.
The average programmer is told about Tao and searches for it.
The foolish programmer is told about Tao and laughs at it.
If it were not for laughter, there would be no Tao.
The highest sounds are hardest to hear.
Going forward is a way to retreat.
Great talent shows itself late in life.
Even a perfect program still has
Bugs.
BOOK 2
The Ancient Masters
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"After three days without programming, life becomes
meaningless."
2.1
The programmers of old were mysterious and profound.
We cannot fathom their thoughts,
So all we do is describe their appearance.
Aware, like a fox crossing the water.
Alert, like a general on the battlefield.
Kind, like a hostess greeting her guests.
Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood.
Opaque, like black pools in darkened caves.
Who can tell the secrets
of their hearts and minds?
The answer exists only in Tao.
2.2
The Grand Master Turing once dreamed that he was a machine.
When he awoke, he exclaimed:
"I don't know whether I am Turing dreaming that I am a machine,
or a machine dreaming that I am Turing!"
2.3
A programmer from a very large computer company went to a
software conference and then returned to report to his manager,
saying:
"What sort of programmers work for other companies?
They behaved badly and were unconcerned with appearances.
Their hair was long and unkempt
and their clothes were wrinkled and old.
They crashed our hospitality suite
and they made rude noises during my presentation!"
The manager said:
"I should have never sent you to the conference.
Those programmers live beyond the physical world.
They consider life absurd, an accidental coincidence.
They come and go without knowing limitations.
Without a care, they live only for their programs.
Why should they bother with social conventions?
They are alive within the Tao."
2.4
A novice asked the Master:
"Here is a programmer that never designs,
documents or tests his programs.
Yet all who know him consider him
one of the best programmers in the world.
"Why is this?"
The Master replied:
"That programmer has mastered the Tao.
"He has gone beyond the need for design;
he does not become angry when the system crashes,
but accepts the universe without concern.
"He has gone beyond the need for documentation;
he no longer cares if anyone else sees his code.
"He has gone beyond the need for testing;
each of his programs are perfect within themselves,
serene and elegant, their purpose self-evident.
"Truly, he has entered the mystery of Tao."
BOOK 3
Design
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"When a program is being tested, it is too late to
make design
changes."
3.1
There once was a man who went to a computer trade show.
Each day as he entered, the man told the guard at the door:
"I am a great thief, renowned for my feats of shoplifting.
Be forewarned, for this trade show shall not escape
unplundered."
This speech disturbed the guard greatly,
because there were millions of dollars
of computer equipment inside,
so he watched the man carefully.
But the man merely wandered from booth to booth,
humming quietly to himself.
When the man left, the guard took him aside
and searched his clothes,
but nothing was to be found.
On the next day of the trade show, the man returned and
chided the guard, saying:
"I escaped with a vast booty yesterday,
but today will be even better."
So the guard watched him ever more closely,
but to no avail.
On the final day of the trade show,
the guard could contain his curiosity no longer.
"Sir Thief," he said,
"I am so perplexed, I cannot live in peace!
Please enlighten me. What is it that you are
stealing?"
The man smiled.
"I am stealing ideas," he said.
3.2
There once was a Master Programmer
who wrote unstructured programs.
A novice programmer, seeking to imitate him,
also began to write unstructured programs.
When the novice asked the Master to evaluate his progress,
the Master criticized him for writing unstructured programs,
saying,
"What is appropriate for the Master
is not appropriate for the novice.
You must understand Tao
before transcending structure."
3.3
There was once a programmer
who was attached to the court of the warlord of Wu.
The warlord asked the programmer:
"Which is easier to design:
an accounting package or an operating system?"
"An operating system," replied the programmer.
The warlord uttered an exclamation of disbelief.
"Surely an accounting package is trivial
next to the complexity of an operating system," he said.
"Not so," said the programmer,
"When designing an accounting package,
the programmer operates as a mediator
between people having different ideas:
how it must operate,
how its reports must appear,
and how it must conform to the tax laws.
"By contrast, an operating system
is not limited by outside appearances.
When designing an operating system,
the programmer seeks the simplest harmony
between machine and ideas.
"This is why an operating system is easier to design."
The warlord of Wu nodded and smiled.
"That is all good and well,
but which is easier to debug?"
The programmer made no reply.
3.4
A manager went to the Master Programmer
and showed him the requirements document
for a new application.
The manager asked the Master:
"How long will it take to design this system
if I assign five programmers to it?"
"It will take one year," said the Master promptly.
The manager exclaimed,
"But we need this system immediately or even sooner!
How long will it take
if I assign ten programmers to it?"
The Master Programmer frowned,
"In that case, it will take two years."
The manager gasped,
"And what if I assign a hundred programmers to it?!"
The Master Programmer shrugged.
"Then the design will never be completed," he said.
BOOK 4
Coding
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"A well-written program is its own Heaven; a
poorly-written program
is its own Hell."
4.1
A program should be light and agile,
its subroutines connected
like a
string
of
pearls.
The spirit and intent of the program
should be retained throughout.
There should be neither too little
nor too much.
Neither needless loops
nor useless variables;
neither lack of structure
nor overwhelming rigidity.
A program should follow the "Law of Least Astonishment".
What is this law?
It is simply that
the program should always respond to the users
in the way that least astonishes them.
A program, no matter how complex,
should act as a single unit.
The program should be directed by the logic within
rather than by outward appearances.
If the program fails in these requirements,
it will be in a state of
disorder and confusion.
The only way to correct this is
to rewrite
the
program.
4.2
A novice asked the Master:
"I have a program that sometimes runs
and sometimes aborts.
"I have followed the rules of programming,
yet I am totally baffled.
"What is the reason for this?"
The Master replied:
"You are confused
because you do not understand Tao.
"Only a fool expects rational behavior from his fellow humans.
Why do you expect it from a machine that humans have constructed?
"Computers simulate determinism;
only Tao is perfect.
"The rules of programming are transitory;
only Tao is eternal.
"Therefore, you must contemplate Tao
before you receive
Enlightenment."
"But how will I know when I have received Enlightenment?"
asked the novice.
"Your program will run correctly,"
replied the Master.
4.3
The Master was explaining the nature of Tao
to one of his novices.
"The Tao is embodied in all software --
regardless of how insignificant," said the Master.
"Is the Tao in a hand-held calculator?" asked the novice.
"It is," came the reply.
"Is the Tao in a video game?" asked the novice.
"It is even in a video game," said the Master.
"Is the Tao in the DOS
for a personal computer?" asked the novice.
The Master coughed and shifted his position slightly.
"The lesson is over for today," he said.
4.4
Prince Wang's programmer was coding software.
His fingers danced upon the keyboard.
The program compiled without an error message
and ran like a gentle wind.
"Excellent!" the Prince exclaimed.
"Your technique is faultless!"
"Technique?" said the programmer,
turning from his terminal,
"What I follow is Tao -- beyond all techniques!
"When I first began to program,
I would see before me the whole problem in one mass.
"After three years, I no longer saw this mass.
Instead, I saw subroutines.
"But now I see nothing.
"My whole being exists in a formless void.
My senses are idle.
My spirit, free to work without a plan,
follows its own instinct.
"In short, my program writes itself.
"True, sometimes there are difficult problems.
I see them coming,
I slow down,
I watch silently.
Then I change a single line of code
and the difficulties vanish
like puffs of idle smoke.
"I then compile the program.
I sit still
and let the joy of the work fill my being.
"I close my eyes for a moment
and then log off."
Prince Wang said,
"Would that all of my programmers were as wise!"
BOOK 5
Maintenance
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"Though a program be but three lines long,
someday it will have to
be maintained."
5.1
A well-used door needs no oil on its hinges.
A swift-flowing stream does not grow stagnant.
A deer blends perfectly into the forest colors.
Software rots if not used.
These are great mysteries.
5.2
A manager asked a programmer
how long it would take him to finish
the program on which he was working.
"I will be finished tomorrow,"
the programmer promptly replied.
"I think you are being unrealistic," said the manager,
"Truthfully, how long will it take?"
The programmer thought for a moment.
"I have some features that I wish to add.
This will take at least two weeks,"
he finally said.
"Even that is too much to expect," insisted the manager,
"I will be satisfied if you simply tell me
when the program is complete."
The programmer agreed to this.
Several years later, the manager retired.
On the way to his retirement luncheon,
he discovered the programmer asleep
at his terminal.
He had been programming all night.
5.3
A novice programmer was once assigned
to code a simple financial package.
The novice worked furiously for many days,
but when his Master reviewed his program,
he discovered it contained
a screen editor,
a set of generalized graphics routines,
and an artificial intelligence interface,
but not the slightest hint of anything financial.
When the Master asked about this,
the novice became indignant.
"Don't be so impatient," he said,
"I'll put in the financial stuff eventually."
5.4
Does a good farmer neglect a crop he has planted?
Does a good teacher overlook even the most humble student?
Does a good father allow a single child to starve?
Does a good programmer refuse to maintain his code?
BOOK 6
Management
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"Let the programmers be many
and the managers few --
then all will be productive."
6.1
When managers hold endless meetings,
the programmers write games.
When accountants speak of quarterly profits,
the development budget is about to be cut.
When senior scientists talk blue sky,
the clouds are about to roll in.
Truly, this is not the Tao of Programming.
When managers make commitments,
game programs are ignored.
When accountants make long-range plans,
harmony and order are about to be restored.
When senior scientists address the problems at hand,
the problems will soon be solved.
Truly, this is the Tao of Programming.
6.2
Why are programmers non-productive?
Because their time is wasted in meetings.
Why are programmers rebellious?
Because the management interferes too much.
Why are the programmers resigning one by one?
Because they are burnt out.
Having worked for poor management,
they no longer value
their jobs.
6.2
A manager was about to be fired,
but a programmer who worked for him
wrote a new program that became popular and sold well.
As a result, the manager retained his job.
The manager tried to give the programmer a bonus,
but the programmer refused it, saying,
"I wrote the program
because I thought it was
an interesting concept,
and thus I expect no reward."
The manager upon hearing this remarked,
"This programmer,
though he holds a position of small esteem,
understands well
the proper duty of an employee.
Let us promote him
to the exalted position
of management consultant!"
But when told this, the programmer once more refused,
saying,
"I exist so that I can program.
"If I were promoted,
I would do nothing
but waste everyone's time.
"Can I go now?
I have a program that I am working on."
6.3
A manager went to his programmers and told them:
"As regards to your work hours:
you are going to have to come in
at nine in the morning and leave
at five in the afternoon."
At this, all of them became angry
and several resigned on the spot.
So the manager said:
"All right,
in that case
you may set your own working hours,
as long as you finish your projects
on schedule."
The programmers, now satisfied,
began to come in at noon
and work to the wee hours of the morning.
BOOK 7
Corporate Wisdom
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"You can demonstrate a program
for a corporate executive,
but you can't make him
computer literate."
7.1
A novice asked the Master:
"In the East,
there is a great tree-structure
that men call 'Corporate Headquarters'.
"It is bloated out of shape
with vice presidents and accountants.
"It issues a multitude of memos,
each saying 'Go Hence!' or 'Go Hither!'
and nobody knows what is meant.
"Every year new names are put
onto the branches,
but all to no avail.
"How can such an unnatural entity exist?"
The Master replied:
"You perceive this immense structure
and are disturbed
that it has no rational purpose.
"Can you not take amusement
from its endless gyrations?
"Do you not enjoy
the untroubled ease
of programming
beneath its sheltering branches?
"Why are you bothered by its uselessness?"
7.2
In the East there is a shark
which is larger than all other fish.
It changes into a bird
whose wings are like clouds filling the sky.
When this bird moves across the land,
it brings a message from Corporate Headquarters.
This message it drops
into the midst of the programmers,
like a seagull making its mark upon the beach.
Then the bird mounts on the wind
and, with the blue sky at its back,
returns home.
The novice programmer
stares in wonder at the bird,
for he understands it not.
The average programmer
dreads the coming of the bird,
for he fears its message.
The Master Programmer
continues to work at his terminal,
unaware that the bird has come
and gone.
7.3
The Magician
of the Ivory Tower
brought his latest invention
for the Master Programmer
to examine.
The Magician
wheeled a large black box
into the Master's office
while the Master waited
in silence.
"This is an integrated, distributed,
general-purpose workstation," began the Magician,
"ergonomically designed with
a proprietary operating system,
sixth generation languages, and
multiple state of the art user interfaces.
"It took my assistants
several hundred man years
to construct.
"Is it not amazing?"
The Master Programmer raised his eyebrows slightly.
"It is indeed amazing," he said.
"Corporate Headquarters has commanded," continued the Magician,
"that everyone use this workstation
as a platform for new programs.
Do you agree to this?"
"Certainly," replied the Master.
"I will have it
transported to the Data Center immediately!"
And the Magician returned to his tower,
well pleased.
Several days later,
a novice wandered into the office
of the Master Programmer and said,
"I cannot find the listing for my new program.
Do you know where it might be?"
"Yes," replied the Master,
"the listings are stacked on the platform
in the Data Center."
7.4
The Master Programmer
moves from program to program
without fear.
No change in management can harm him.
He will not be fired,
even if the project is cancelled.
Why is this?
He is filled with Tao.
BOOK 8
Hardware and Software
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"Without the wind, the grass does not move.
Without software
hardware is useless."
8.1
A novice asked the Master:
"I perceive that one computer company
is much larger than all others.
"It towers above its competition
like a giant among dwarfs.
"Any one of its divisions
could comprise an entire business.
"Why is this so?"
The Master replied,
"Why do you ask such foolish questions?
"That company is large
because it is large.
"If it only made hardware,
nobody would buy it.
"If it only made software,
nobody would use it.
"If it only maintained systems,
people would treat it like a servant.
"But because it combines
all of these things,
people think it one of the gods!
"By not seeking to strive,
it conquers without effort."
8.2
A Master Programmer passed a novice programmer one day.
The Master noted the novice's preoccupation
with a hand-held computer game.
"Excuse me," he said, "may I examine it?"
The novice bolted to attention
and handed the device to the Master.
"I see that the device claims
to have three levels of play:
Easy, Medium, and Hard,"
said the Master.
"Yet every such device
has another level of play,
where the device
seeks not to conquer the human,
nor to be conquered by the human."
"Pray, Great Master,"
implored the novice,
"how does one
find this mysterious setting?"
The Master dropped the device to the ground
and crushed it
with his heel.
Suddenly the novice was enlightened.
8.3
There was once a programmer
who wrote software for personal computers.
"Look at how well off I am here,"
he said to a mainframe programmer
who came to visit.
"I have my own operating system
and file storage device.
"I do not have to share my resources
with anyone.
"The software is self-consistent
and easy-to-use.
"Why do you not quit
your present job
and join me here?"
The mainframe programmer
then began to describe his system
to his friend, saying,
"The mainframe sits like an ancient Sage
meditating in the midst of the Data Center.
"Its disk drives lie end-to-end
like a great ocean of machinery.
"The software is as multifaceted as a diamond,
and as convoluted as a primeval jungle.
"The programs, each unique,
move through the system
like a swift-flowing river.
"That is why
I am happy where I am."
The personal computer programmer,
upon hearing this,
fell silent.
But the two programmers
remained friends
until the end of their days.
8.4
Hardware met Software on the road to Changtse.
Software said:
"You are Yin and I am Yang.
If we travel together,
we will become famous
and earn vast sums of money."
And so they set forth together,
thinking to conquer the world.
Presently, they met Firmware,
who was dressed in tattered rags
and hobbled along propped on a thorny stick.
Firmware said to them:
"The Tao lies beyond Yin and Yang.
"It is silent and still
as a pool of water.
"It does not seek fame;
therefore, nobody knows its presence.
"It does not seek fortune,
for it is complete within itself.
"It exists beyond space and time."
Software and Hardware, ashamed,
returned to their homes.
BOOK 9
Epilogue
Thus spake the Master Programmer:
"Time for you to leave."