--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You want it in one line? Does it have to…" description: "\"You want it in one line? Does it have to fit in 80 columns?\" — Larry Wall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/larry-wall-1576_columns_you-want-it-in-one-line-does-it-have-to_1252459.png" --- # You want it in one line? Does it have to fit in 80 columns? ![“You want it in one line? Does it have to fit in 80 columns?” quote by Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/larry-wall-1576_columns_you-want-it-in-one-line-does-it-have-to_1252459.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/larry-wall-1576_columns_you-want-it-in-one-line-does-it-have-to_1252459.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/larry-wall-1576_columns_you-want-it-in-one-line-does-it-have-to_1252459.png) > “You want it in one line? Does it have to fit in 80 columns?” [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. Ask if a single-line solution fits formatting constraints before deciding. **In simple terms:** Consider line length limits. Key Takeaway Check format limits. Themes practicality constraints coding Mood concise technical Type guidance practical When to use this quote - programming - documentation Key Concepts software design usability Questions to Reflect On - Is brevity more important than clarity? A Different Perspective Constraints may limit creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [80 Columns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/80-columns-3952207/) [Columns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columns/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/line/) [Line Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/line-does-476422/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [One line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-line/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-line-489110/) ## Related quotes > [Do remember that one line does nothing; it is only in relation to another that it creates a volume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/do-remember-that-one-line-does-nothing-it-is-only-in-relation-to/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [I want to score goals, I want to be on the first line of the power play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-oshie/i-want-to-score-goals-i-want-to-be-on-the-first-line-of-the-power-play/) [T. J. Oshie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-oshie/) > [I want to do my own line of Halloween costumes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-marquardt/i-want-to-do-my-own-line-of-halloween-costumes/) [Bridget Marquardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-marquardt/) > [I don't pay any attention to records. I don't want pressure. I just want to get to that line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-ann-fraser-pryce/i-don-t-pay-any-attention-to-records-i-don-t-want-pressure-i-just/) [Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-ann-fraser-pryce/) > [“You don't want to get in that line...it's fucking long”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-barnette/you-don-t-want-to-get-in-that-line-it-s-fucking-long/) [Abigail Barnette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-barnette/) > [You don't want to line up on the blocks and know you have not done everything you possibly can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-rice/you-don-t-want-to-line-up-on-the-blocks-and-know-you-have-not-done/) [Stephanie Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-rice/) > [I want to have my own line and collection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-siriano/i-want-to-have-my-own-line-and-collection/) [Christian Siriano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-siriano/) > [I don't think about drawing the contact on purpose. I just want to get to the line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-ginobili/i-don-t-think-about-drawing-the-contact-on-purpose-i-just-want-to-get/) [Manu Ginobili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-ginobili/) > [“He gave Evan a glance. “Unless you want to do something else.” “That's a line? Seriously?” “I have to use lines now? We share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tere-michaels/he-gave-evan-a-glance-unless-you-want-to-do-something-else-that-s-a/) [Tere Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tere-michaels/) > [When kids tried to pick on me, I always had one line to shoot them down with: 'I make more money in a week…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-james-williams/when-kids-tried-to-pick-on-me-i-always-had-one-line-to-shoot-them/) [Tyler James Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-james-williams/) > [It doesn't matter whether it comes in by cable, telephone lines, computor, or satellite. Everyone's going to have to deal with Disney.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/it-doesn-t-matter-whether-it-comes-in-by-cable-telephone-lines/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [I need money. I have a staff of 30, and four houses, never mind the government, to support.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/i-need-money-i-have-a-staff-of-30-and-four-houses-never-mind-the/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [Before computers, telephone lines and television connect us, we all share the same air, the same oceans, the same mountains and rivers. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-louis-dreyfus/before-computers-telephone-lines-and-television-connect-us-we-all/) [Julia Louis-Dreyfus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-louis-dreyfus/) > [I did about 10-12 national commercials and then got one line parts in things like 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and the show 'The Unit.' Got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-did-about-10-12-national-commercials-and-then-got-one-line-parts-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [True friendship is sitting together in silence and feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-friendship-is-sitting-together-in-silence-and-feeling-like-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Columns quotes > [I think the most important way to understand play is that it's this property that's in things. Like there's play in a mechanism. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/i-think-the-most-important-way-to-understand-play-is-that-it-s-this/) [Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/) > [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [Now I'm instantly nervous about the demands of doing a weekly column.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/now-i-m-instantly-nervous-about-the-demands-of-doing-a-weekly-column/) [Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/) > [The young man shivered. He rolled the stock themes of fantasy over in his mind: cars and stockbrokers and commuters, housewives and police, agony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-young-man-shivered-he-rolled-the-stock-themes-of-fantasy-over-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Equal and united people can above all become a part of the civilization toward which mankind is moving. If we cannot be at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/equal-and-united-people-can-above-all-become-a-part-of-the/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [The sadness from reading letters that you know you can't help because it's a person who's in extremis and their problems are not soluble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-yoffe/the-sadness-from-reading-letters-that-you-know-you-can-t-help-because/) [Emily Yoffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-yoffe/) > [History fades into fable; fact becomes clouded with doubt and controversy; the inscription molders from the tablet: the statue falls from the pedestal. Columns,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/history-fades-into-fable-fact-becomes-clouded-with-doubt-and/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [When the landscape buckles and jerks around, when a dust column of debris rises from the collapse of a block of buildings on bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/when-the-landscape-buckles-and-jerks-around-when-a-dust-column-of/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [It's nice to know that if you've worked really hard at something, it gets recognised with a tick in the success column - however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-fraser/it-s-nice-to-know-that-if-you-ve-worked-really-hard-at-something-it/) [Brendan Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-fraser/) > [I find interesting characters or lessons that resonate with people and sometimes I write about them in the sports pages, sometimes I write them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-find-interesting-characters-or-lessons-that-resonate-with-people/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Probably also due to the political situation getting just worse and more extreme, but also this distance and this sadness of this feeling that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sayed-kashua/probably-also-due-to-the-political-situation-getting-just-worse-and/) [Sayed Kashua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sayed-kashua/) > [Public life, politics and industry should all of them be within our sphere of influence… If we are to infiltrate the professional and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawlings-rees/public-life-politics-and-industry-should-all-of-them-be-within-our/) [John Rawlings Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawlings-rees/) > [What a fantastic honour to be given the opportunity to write a column in the first ever 'Sunday Sun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sentamu/what-a-fantastic-honour-to-be-given-the-opportunity-to-write-a-column/) [John Sentamu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sentamu/) > [Often, the truly great and valuable lessons we learn in life are learned through pain. That's why they call it "growing pains." It's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-drescher/often-the-truly-great-and-valuable-lessons-we-learn-in-life-are/) [Fran Drescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-drescher/) > [Donald Trump announced his no Muslims are allowed to come to the United States plan and that led to one of the greatest tweets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/donald-trump-announced-his-no-muslims-are-allowed-to-come-to-the/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) [Browse all 380 Columns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columns/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You want it in one line? 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