--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're going to define a shortcut…" description: "\"If you're going to define a shortcut, then make it the base [sic] darn shortcut you can.\" — Larry Wall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/larry-wall-1576_ifs_if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-the_2640139.png" --- # If you're going to define a shortcut, then make it the… ![“If you're going to define a shortcut, then make it the base [sic] darn shortcut you can.” quote by Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/larry-wall-1576_ifs_if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-the_2640139.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/larry-wall-1576_ifs_if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-the_2640139.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/larry-wall-1576_ifs_if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-the_2640139.png) > “If you're going to define a shortcut, then make it the base \[sic\] darn shortcut you can.” [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When defining a shortcut, ensure it is truly efficient and reliable, not a half‑baked fix. **In simple terms:** Make shortcuts solid. Key Takeaway Design robust solutions. Themes efficiency design quality Mood analytical pragmatic Type technical advice When to use this quote - coding - workflow optimization - tool creation Key Concepts software engineering problem solving Questions to Reflect On - What makes a shortcut effective? - When should you avoid shortcuts? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex tasks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darn Shortcut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darn-shortcut-2261687/) [Define Shortcut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/define-shortcut-2261688/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Make Base](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-base-2261690/) [Shortcut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortcut/) [Shortcut Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortcut-make-2261689/) [Shortcuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortcuts/) ## Related quotes > [Whatever you make, base it upon that which is most important to you. Only then will it have depth and meaning, and only then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/whatever-you-make-base-it-upon-that-which-is-most-important-to-you/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [“Getting a mentor is the shortcut to success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-sanchez/getting-a-mentor-is-the-shortcut-to-success/) [Bo Sánchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-sanchez/) > [Willpower is the shortest shortcut to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/willpower-is-the-shortest-shortcut-to-success/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/you-always-reap-what-you-sow-there-is-no-shortcut/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I was an assistant director for a year, and I realized, 'God, this is a lot of hard work. This is going to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emraan-hashmi/i-was-an-assistant-director-for-a-year-and-i-realized-god-this-is-a/) [Emraan Hashmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emraan-hashmi/) > [A lot of people want a shortcut. I find the best shortcut is the long way, which is basically two words: work hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/a-lot-of-people-want-a-shortcut-i-find-the-best-shortcut-is-the-long/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [There is no shortcut to achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington-carver/there-is-no-shortcut-to-achievement/) [George Washington Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington-carver/) > [Sometimes taking time is actually a shortcut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/sometimes-taking-time-is-actually-a-shortcut/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The nearest way to glory a shortcut, as it were is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-nearest-way-to-glory-a-shortcut-as-it-were-is-to-strive-to-be/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [There is no fast, easy shortcut for the word abbreviation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gould/there-is-no-fast-easy-shortcut-for-the-word-abbreviation/) [Dana Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gould/) > [You don't always get the waterfall shortcut in Mario Kart. That's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-barakat/you-don-t-always-get-the-waterfall-shortcut-in-mario-kart-that-s-life/) [Jack Barakat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-barakat/) > [It's easy to shortcut when you get busy explaining the why's of the world, but it's very important to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/it-s-easy-to-shortcut-when-you-get-busy-explaining-the-why-s-of-the/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [There are no shortcuts. The fact that a shortcut is important to you means that you are a pussy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/there-are-no-shortcuts-the-fact-that-a-shortcut-is-important-to-you/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [A shortcut is the longest distance between two points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-issawi/a-shortcut-is-the-longest-distance-between-two-points/) [Charles Issawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-issawi/) > [There is no shortcut to grieving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/there-is-no-shortcut-to-grieving/) [Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/) ## More by Larry Wall > [Not that I have anything much against redundancy. But I said that already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/not-that-i-have-anything-much-against-redundancy-but-i-said-that/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Perhaps you should compile your Perl with long doubles one of these megaseconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perhaps-you-should-compile-your-perl-with-long-doubles-one-of-these/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Take Lisp, you know its the most beautiful language in the world -- at least up until Haskell came along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/take-lisp-you-know-its-the-most-beautiful-language-in-the-world-at/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I'm reminded of the day my daughter came in, looked over my shoulder at some Perl 4 code, and said, 'What is that, swearing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/i-m-reminded-of-the-day-my-daughter-came-in-looked-over-my-shoulder/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Yes, but I did manage to increase the amount of virginity in the world by that method.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/yes-but-i-did-manage-to-increase-the-amount-of-virginity-in-the-world/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I won't mention any names, because I don't want to get sun4's into trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/i-won-t-mention-any-names-because-i-don-t-want-to-get-sun4-s-into/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [And besides, if Perl really takes off in the Windows space, I think the rest of us would just as soon have a double-agent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/and-besides-if-perl-really-takes-off-in-the-windows-space-i-think-the/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [In general, they do what you want, unless you want consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/in-general-they-do-what-you-want-unless-you-want-consistency/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I suppose you could switch grammars once you've seen 'use strict subs'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/i-suppose-you-could-switch-grammars-once-you-ve-seen-use-strict-subs/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [While I have historically been a late worker, you know, sometimes I even like to get up early and see what's happened in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/while-i-have-historically-been-a-late-worker-you-know-sometimes-i/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [All language designers are arrogant. Goes with the territory...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/all-language-designers-are-arrogant-goes-with-the-territory/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Perl has a long tradition of working around compilers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perl-has-a-long-tradition-of-working-around-compilers/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Part of language design is perturbing the proposed feature in various directions to see how it might generalize in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/part-of-language-design-is-perturbing-the-proposed-feature-in-various/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [We can debug relationships, but it's always good policy to consider the people themselves to be features. People get annoyed when you try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/we-can-debug-relationships-but-it-s-always-good-policy-to-consider/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [The whole intent of Perl 5's module system was to encourage the growth of Perl culture rather than the Perl core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-whole-intent-of-perl-5-s-module-system-was-to-encourage-the/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) [Explore all 226 Larry Wall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) [Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're going to define a shortcut, then make it the base [sic] darn shortcut you can.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Larry Wall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-then-make-it-the-base-sic-darn/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-then-make-it-the-base-sic-darn/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/larry-wall-1576_ifs_if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-the_2640139.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/larry-wall-1576_ifs_if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-the_2640139.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/larry-wall-1576_ifs_if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-the_2640139.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you're going to define a shortcut, then make it the base [sic] darn shortcut you can.” — Larry Wall", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Larry Wall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you're going to define a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-then-make-it-the-base-sic-darn/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/if-you-re-going-to-define-a-shortcut-then-make-it-the-base-sic-darn/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```