Re: Term for elegant, efficient, tight code?

[Doc <doc -at- vertext -dot- org>]

On Sat, 31 May 2003 13:13:10 -0700, dmbrown -at- brown-inc -dot- com wrote:
>I'm sorry if someone's already mentioned this, but "elegant, efficient, and tight" have little to do with whether the code compiles--that's a given.
>"Elegant" describes code that achieves the desired goal in a typically new or unique way--something that makes other programmers smile and say, "Wow, I wish I'd thought of that!"
>"Efficient" describes code that achieves the desired goal without wasting CPU processing power or time.
>"Tight" describes code that achieves the desired goal with the fewest instructions possible.  It is occasionally used as a synonym for the combination of elegance and efficiency.
>None of these terms imply syntactical correctness, conformance to some standard, or validity in any other sense...beyond the fact that, if it won't even compile, its elegance, efficiency, and tightness don't carry much significance.

That's not quite the way I understand it. According to
http://www.elsol.org/

"In a mathematical proof or a computer program, elegance is the
minimum number of steps to achieve the solution with maximum clarity.
Engineers strive to use the least amount of material and minimize the
number of moving parts; duct tape is not an elegant solution, except
for taping ducts. Like an elegant theory, an elegant solution is
recognized by its parsimony of definition and power of explanation.
The most complex games have the fewest rules, as do the most dynamic
societies."

In other words, successful compilation, successful operation, and
efficiency are required for code or any other solution to be
considered "elegant". 

I grew up among scientists and that is always what elegant meant. 

-Doc
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