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0 pointsdonquichotte4y ago0 comments

Came here wanting to mention The Practice of Programming. It seems to be out of print, but I got my hands onto a copy of it some years ago and really enjoyed the clarity, humility and technical depth (mainly in the later parts) of the piece.

I enjoy clowning around and joking in personal interactions (if appropriate) and used to do it in my writing, but have come to believe that the humble, dry, concise style of the works mentioned above is most suitable and clearest for technical writing addressed to an unknown audience.

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noufalibrahim4y ago· 3 in thread

I think so too. I remember reading Larry Wall's Perl book. I found it rambling and incoherent. Didn't hold my interest for too long. Kernighan's books are quite different.

ahartmetz4y ago

The book is not too different from the language, ahem. OTOH, C is not my favorite language, but the K&R C book is the best technical writing I remember reading.

noufalibrahim4y ago

Yup. I described it as "too baroque" to someone. It's conceptually too large.

vram224y ago

You found Larry Wall's Perl book rambling and incoherent? And you a professed book-lover? Are you aware that different book authors have different styles? (Ofc you do.) Or that Perl is a language, a set of creators and authors, and an ecosystem that does not feel the need to toe the line of the conventional, in fact, disregards it in favor of exploring different styles / options / methods? Explain yourself, Sir Noufal, or pistols at dawn in Buckingham Park. Okay, your choice of weapons. I shall come armed with the Camel book, nothing else ;)

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