---
title: "1 Natural Boundaries Quotes By Brian Kernighan"
description: "1 Natural Boundaries quotes by Brian Kernighan. Plus more from Brian Kernighan and more Natural Boundaries sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/brian-kernighan-27197_boundaries_an-effective-way-to-test-code-is-to-exer_500847.png"
---

> [An effective way to test code is to exercise it at its natural boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/an-effective-way-to-test-code-is-to-exercise-it-at-its-natural/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/brian-kernighan-27197_boundaries_an-effective-way-to-test-code-is-to-exer_500847.png)

## More by Brian Kernighan

> [Get the weirdnesses into the data where you can manipulate them easily, and the regularity into the code because regular code is a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/get-the-weirdnesses-into-the-data-where-you-can-manipulate-them/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [Trying to outsmart a compiler defeats much of the purpose of using one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/trying-to-outsmart-a-compiler-defeats-much-of-the-purpose-of-using-one/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [An effective way to test code is to exercise it at its natural boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/an-effective-way-to-test-code-is-to-exercise-it-at-its-natural/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [As we said in the preface to the first edition, C "wears well as one's experience with it grows." With a decade more experience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/as-we-said-in-the-preface-to-the-first-edition-c-wears-well-as-one-s/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [Trivia rarely affect efficiency. Are all the machinations worth it, when their primary effect is to make the code less readable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/trivia-rarely-affect-efficiency-are-all-the-machinations-worth-it/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [If you had done something twice, you are likely to do it again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/if-you-had-done-something-twice-you-are-likely-to-do-it-again/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [C is a razor-sharp tool, with which one can create an elegant and efficient program or a bloody mess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/c-is-a-razor-sharp-tool-with-which-one-can-create-an-elegant-and/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [Believe the terrain, not the map](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/believe-the-terrain-not-the-map/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [Mechanical rules are never a substitute for clarity of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/mechanical-rules-are-never-a-substitute-for-clarity-of-thought/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [Don't document bad code - rewrite it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/don-t-document-bad-code-rewrite-it/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/debugging-is-twice-as-hard-as-writing-the-code-in-the-first-place/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [“Everyone knows that debugging is twice as hard as writing a program in the first place. So if you're as clever as you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/everyone-knows-that-debugging-is-twice-as-hard-as-writing-a-program/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [ Another effective \[debugging\] technique is to explain your code to someone else. This will often cause you to explain the bug to yourself. Sometimes… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/another-effective-debugging-technique-is-to-explain-your-code-to/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [... it is a fundamental principle of testing that you must know in advance the answer each test case is supposed to produce. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/it-is-a-fundamental-principle-of-testing-that-you-must-know-in/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

> [Do what you think is interesting, do something that you think is fun and worthwhile, because otherwise you won't do it well anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/do-what-you-think-is-interesting-do-something-that-you-think-is-fun/)

[Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/)

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