The computing scientist's main challenge is not to get confused by the complexities of his own making. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
In the good old days physicists repeated each other's experiments, just to be sure. Today they stick to FORTRAN, so that they… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Please don't fall into the trap of believing that I am terribly dogmatical about [the goto statement]. I have the uncomfortable feeling… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
In this respect a program is like a poem: you cannot write a poem without writing it. Yet people talk about programming… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
It used to be the program's purpose to instruct our computers; it became the computer's purpose to execute our programs. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
… what society overwhelmingly asks for is snake oil. Of course, the snake oil has the most impressive names — otherwise you… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
If you want more effective programmers, you will discover that they should not waste their time debugging, they should not introduce the… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
The competent programmer is fully aware of the strictly limited size of his own skull; therefore he approaches the programming task in… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
If in physics there's something you don't understand, you can always hide behind the uncharted depths of nature. You can always blame… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
The competent programmer is fully aware of the limited size of his own skull. He therefore approaches his task with full humility,… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
If we wish to count lines of code, we should not regard them as 'lines produced' but as 'lines spent.' — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Yes, I share your concern: how to program well -though a teachable topic- is hardly taught. The situation is similar to that… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
We are all shaped by the tools we use, in particular: the formalisms we use shape our thinking habits, for better or… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Write a paper promising salvation, make it a structured something or a virtual something, or abstract, distributed or higher-order or applicative and… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
A most important, but also most elusive, aspect of any tool is its influence on the habits of those who train themselves… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Simplicity and elegance are unpopular because they require hard work and discipline to achieve and education to be appreciated. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
We shall do a much better programming job, provided that we approach the task with a full appreciation of its tremendous difficulty,… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Programming is one of the most difficult branches of applied mathematics; the poorer mathematicians had better remain pure mathematicians. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Object-oriented programming is an exceptionally bad idea which could only have originated in California. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
I don't need to waste my time with a computer just because I am a computer scientist. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
So-called "natural language" is wonderful for the purposes it was created for, such as to be rude in, to tell jokes in,… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
When we take the position that it is not only the programmer's responsibility to produce a correct program but also to demonstrate… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
The effort of using machines to mimic the human mind has always struck me as rather silly. I would rather use them… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Production speed is severely slowed down if one works with half-time people who have other obligations as well. This is at least a factor… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
The computing scientist's main challenge is not to get confused by the complexities of his own making. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Probably I am very naive, but I also think I prefer to remain so, at least for the time being and perhaps for the… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
In the good old days physicists repeated each other's experiments, just to be sure. Today they stick to FORTRAN, so that they can share… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Don't compete with me: firstly, I have more experience, and secondly, I have chosen the weapons. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
The use of anthropomorphic terminology forces you linguistically to adopt an operational view. And it makes it practically impossible to argue about programs independently… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Teaching to unsuspecting youngsters the effective use of formal methods is one of the joys of life because it is so extremely rewarding. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Please don't fall into the trap of believing that I am terribly dogmatical about [the goto statement]. I have the uncomfortable feeling that others… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Several people have told me that my inability to suffer fools gladly is one of my main weaknesses. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
