Evolution of a Programmer

High School/Jr.High

  10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD"
 20 END

First year in College

  program Hello(input, output)
   begin
     writeln('Hello World')
   end.

Senior year in College

  (defun hello
   (print
     (cons 'Hello (list 'World))))

New professional

  #include 
 void main(void)
 {
   char *message[] = {"Hello ", "World"};
   int i;

   for(i = 0; i < 2; ++i)
     printf("%s", message[i]);
   printf("\n");
 }

Apprentice Hacker

  #!/usr/local/bin/perl
 $msg="Hello, world.\n";
 if ($#ARGV >= 0) {
   while(defined($arg=shift(@ARGV))) {
     $outfilename = $arg;
     open(FILE, ">" . $outfilename) || die "Can't write $arg: $!\n";
     print (FILE $msg);
     close(FILE) || die "Can't close $arg: $!\n";
   }
 } else {
   print ($msg);
 }
 1;

Experienced Hacker

  #include 
 #define S "Hello, World\n"
 main(){exit(printf(S) == strlen(S) ? 0 : 1);}

Guru Hacker

  % echo "Hello, world."

New Manager

  10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD"
 20 END

Middle Manager

  mail -s "Hello, world." bob@b12
 Bob, could you please write me a program that prints "Hello, world."?
 I need it by tomorrow.
 ^D

Senior Manager

  % zmail jim
 I need a "Hello, world." program by this afternoon.

Chief Executive

  % letter
 letter: Command not found.
 % mail
 To: ^X ^F ^C
 % help mail
 help: Command not found.
 % damn!
 !: Event unrecognized
 % logout