The 15 laws
1. Anything that can go wrong will, except when you expect it. (This is an extension of Murphy’s Law.) 2. AH computers are compatible with all printers — except the one you have just bought. 3. Programs expand to fill memory available. 4. The power will fail just before you save to disk.
5. Disk faults occur only on important data. 6. The number of bugs in a program is in direct relationship to its costs. 7. These rules supplement and complement rather than replace “the eight rules of computer programming” as projosed by Surya, in Britain.
The eight rules are: 1. Any given program, once running, is obsolete. 2. Any given program costs more and takes longer. 3. If a program is useful it will have to be changed. 4. If a program is useless, it will have to be documented.
5. Any given program will expand to fill all available memory, and then some.
6. The value of a program is inversely proportionate to the weight of its output. 7. Program complexity grows until it is beyond the capability of the programmer who must maintain it
8. Make it possible to program in plain English and you will find the programmers do not write plain English.
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Press, 28 July 1987, Page 30
Word Count
210The 15 laws Press, 28 July 1987, Page 30
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