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Computers Quote by Anonymous

“Programs should be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.” quote by Anonymous
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““Programs should be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.””

Anonymous

About This Quote

Source Book: The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas, 1999

Code should prioritize human readability, with machine execution as a secondary concern.

In simple terms: Write code for people first.

Key Takeaway

Focus on clarity.

Themes

software development readability human-centered design

Mood

thoughtful practical

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

  • team code reviews
  • educational tutorials
  • open source contributions
  • pair programming

Key Concepts

programming principles cognitive load

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you balance readability with performance?
  • When is machine efficiency more critical than human readability?
A Different Perspective

Machines may still need optimization that conflicts with readability.

4.7 out of 5 (9 ratings)

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