Master Foo once said to a visiting programmer: "There is
more Unix-nature in one line of shell script than there is
in ten thousand lines of C."
The programmer, who was very proud of his mastery of C,
said: "How can this be? C is the language in which the very
kernel of Unix is implemented!"
Master Foo replied: "That is so. Nevertheless, there is
more Unix-nature in one line of shell script than there is
in ten thousand lines of C."
The programmer grew distressed. "But through the C
language we experience the enlightenment of the Patriarch
Ritchie! We become as one with the operating system and the
machine, reaping matchless performance!"
Master Foo replied: "All that you say is true. But there
is still more Unix-nature in one line of shell script than
there is in ten thousand lines of C."
The programmer scoffed at Master Foo and rose to depart.
But Master Foo nodded to his student Nubi, who wrote a line
of shell script on a nearby whiteboard, and said: "Master
programmer, consider this pipeline. Implemented in pure C,
would it not span ten thousand lines?"
The programmer muttered through his beard, contemplating
what Nubi had written. Finally he agreed that it was so.
"And how many hours would you require to implement and
debug that C program?" asked Nubi.
"Many," admitted the visiting programmer. "But only a
fool would spend the time to do that when so many more
worthy tasks await him."
"And who better understands the Unix-nature?" Master Foo
asked. "Is it he who writes the ten thousand lines, or he
who, perceiving the emptiness of the task, gains merit by
not coding?"
Upon hearing this, the programmer was enlightened.
