It might be interesting to compare your final list with the two lists in the 1978 special issue of the BSTJ--one in the Foreword, the other in the revised version of the Ritchi/Thompson article from the CACM. How have perceptions or values changed over time?

Doug

On Mon, Jan 25, 2021 at 7:32 AM Steve Nickolas <usotsuki@buric.co> wrote:

On Mon, 25 Jan 2021, Tyler Adams wrote:

> I'm writing about my 5 favorite unix design principles on my blog this
> week, and it got me wondering what others' favorite unix design principles
> are? For reference, mine are:
>
> - Rule of Separation (from TAOUP <http://catb.org/~esr/writings/taoup/html/>
> )
> - Let the Machine Do the Dirty Work (from Elements of Programming Style)
> - Rule of Silence (from TAOUP <http://catb.org/~esr/writings/taoup/html/>)
> - Data Dominates (Rob Pike #5)
> - The SPOT (Single Point of Truth) Rule (from TAOUP
> <http://catb.org/~esr/writings/taoup/html/>)
>
> Tyler
>

1. Pipes
2. Text as the preferred format for input and output
3. 'Most everything as a file
4. The idea of simple tools that are optimized for a single task
5. A powerful scripting language built into the system that, combined with
1-4, makes writing new tools heaps easier.

-uso.