programming-principles

Programming Principles

Rob Pike's 5 Rules of Programming and related engineering wisdom for writing simple, correct, and efficient code.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Deciding whether to optimize code
• Choosing between simple and complex algorithms
• Designing data structures for a new feature
• Reviewing code for unnecessary complexity
• Evaluating performance tuning approaches
• Debating algorithm choice during code review

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Measure Before Optimizing	CRITICAL	meas-
2	Profile Before Tuning	CRITICAL	prof-
3	Simplicity Over Fancy Algorithms	HIGH	simp-
4	Simple Means Correct	HIGH	corr-
5	Data Dominates	HIGH	data-

How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and examples:

• references/meas-no-premature-optimization.md
• references/prof-measure-then-tune.md
• references/simp-small-n.md
• references/corr-simple-algorithms.md
• references/data-structures-first.md
• references/_sections.md

Each rule file contains:

• The original rule statement
• Related quotes from other pioneers
• Incorrect approach with explanation
• Correct approach with explanation

Key Principles

Principle	One-liner
No premature optimization	Bottlenecks occur in surprising places
Measure first	Don't tune until you've measured
Keep it simple	Fancy algorithms have big constants
Simple = correct	Fancy algorithms are buggier
Data dominates	Right data structures make algorithms obvious

References

• Rob Pike's Rules of Programming: https://users.ece.utexas.edu/~adnan/pike.html
• C.A.R. Hoare on premature optimization
• Ken Thompson: "When in doubt, use brute force"
• Fred Brooks, The Mythical Man-Month