A certain nun of the One Shoe Clan had run afoul of some
sample code in a PHP tutorial. The sample contained
error-handling code which was not intended for actual
production use, yet this was not clear from the text. The
nun copied the code dutifully, and disaster was the result.
When the crisis had passed, the nun found the old scribe Qi
writing in the Temple’s great journal. She bowed. “Say
something of instruction books that teach bad practices.”
Said the scribe, “I will petition the masters on this
subject.”
The scribe brought the nun’s request to master Suku, who
demanded readable code from all in her charge.
Suku said: “Books are faithful hounds, doing only as their
authors have raised them. Some were doted upon, and some
sorely neglected. If the Temple has been bitten, the fault
lies with the one who reared the animal. His writings should
be cast upon the midden-heap.”
The scribe brought the nun’s request to master Bawan, who
reverently stroked the binder of his ANSI C Handbook.
Bawan said: “Books are sleeping dogs, incapable of mischief
on their own. Some are tame and some rabid, so all are best
awoken with caution. If the Temple has been bitten, the
fault lies with the one who disturbed the animal. The nun
should be punished.”
The scribe brought the nun’s request to the unhappy master
Banzen, who sought perfection in all things and seldom found
it.
Banzen said: “Books are wild mongrels, taking part of their
nature from the writer and part from the reader. If the
Temple has been bitten, the fault lies chiefly with the
animal’s teeth. The only correction required is one done
with ink.”
The old scribe returned to the nun, and placed his great
journal in her hands. “I have investigated the issue of
instruction books.”
The nun found the most recent case, which appeared to be
unfinished. “I see the testimonies of three masters,” she
said, “yet all are in contradiction. What will you write in
conclusion?”
