Can do Quote by David Gries
“Never put off until run time what you can do at compile time.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Programming in the Large, David Gries, 1979
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.
