Documentation

An abbot of the Seven-Clawed Blind Eagle Clan was tallying the deliverables of the temple monks, when he noticed that a monk of the Laughing Monkey Clan had produced no design documents.

“What if a problem were discovered in our production system?” the abbot asked the monk. “How would the cause be understood by any besides yourself?”

“The code itself should be examined,” said the monk. “The Document is a sickly beast, easily subject to the Three Plagues of Error: omission, obfuscation, and obsolescence.”

The abbot reported this to the Java master, who said: “Have the monk balance on one foot with his staff outstretched, every day from dusk to midnight. If he can say a word to please me I will revoke the punishment, but not otherwise.”

“Is there such a word?” asked the abbot.

“It is difficult to be certain,” reflected the master. “Yesterday I was pleased by the sound of a cricket chirping after the first three drops of rain. The day before, the plashing of milk in a pail returned me to a pleasant memory of my youth. Perhaps the answer lies in the fragrance of a white lotus that drifted once in the pond below my window.”