Perl Style: Data-Oriented Programming

Jan 1, 1998 by Tom Christiansen

• Data structures are more important than code.
• Rob Pike says: `Data dominates. If you’ve chosen the right data structures and organized things well, the algorithms will almost always be self-evident. Data structures, not algorithms, are central to programming. (See Brooks p. 102.)'
• Capture regularity with data, irregularity with code. (Kernighan)
• If you see similar functionality in two places, unify it. That is called a `subroutine'.
• Consider making a hash of function pointers to represent a state table or switch statement.

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Copyright © 1998, Tom Christiansen All rights reserved.