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Never put off until run time what you can do at compile…

“Never put off until run time what you can do at compile time.” quote by David Gries
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“Never put off until run time what you can do at compile time.”

David Gries

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Optimizing code by handling tasks during compilation reduces runtime work and improves performance.

In simple terms: Do work early.

Key Takeaway

Shift work to compile time.

Themes

efficiency software design optimization

Mood

technical practical

Type

instructional technical

When to use this quote

  • software development
  • build systems
  • performance tuning

Key Concepts

compile‑time evaluation lazy evaluation

Questions to Reflect On

  • Can you identify tasks that could be pre‑computed?
  • What trade‑offs exist between compile time and runtime speed?
A Different Perspective

Not all languages support compile‑time computation, limiting applicability.

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