Computer language Quote by Alan Kay
“I made up the term "object-oriented," and I can tell you I did not have C++ in mind.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Xerox PARC Talk, 1972
The term “object‑oriented” was coined without C++ in mind, emphasizing conceptual design over language.
In simple terms: Coined before C++.
Key Takeaway
Focus on design principles first.
Themes
software design
programming
history
Mood
analytical
historical
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- software architecture
- teaching programming
- legacy code analysis
Key Concepts
object‑orientation
abstraction
Questions to Reflect On
- Does naming influence language evolution?
- How do concepts survive beyond specific tools?
A Different Perspective
Later languages may shift original intent.
![“It's [programming] the only job I can think of where I get to be both an engineer and an artist. There's an incredible, rigorous, technical element to it, which I like because you have to do very precise thinking. On the other hand, it has a wildly creative side where the boundaries of imagination…” quote by Andy Hertzfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/001/andy-hertzfeld-24074_art_it-s-programming-the-only-job-i-can-thin_250407.jpg)
![“One purpose of CRC cards [a design tool] is to fail early, to fail often, and to fail inexpensively. It is a lot cheaper to tear up a bunch of cards that it would be to reorganize a large amount of source code.” quote by Cay S. Horstmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/92f/cay-s-horstmann-75741_amount_one-purpose-of-crc-cards-a-design-tool-i_174829.jpg)
