Code Quote by Brian Kernighan
“Trivia rarely affect efficiency. Are all the machinations worth it, when their primary effect is to make the code less readable?”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Art of Unix Programming, 2000
Complex code reduces performance and maintainability, outweighing any minor speed gains.
In simple terms: Complicated code hurts efficiency and readability.
Key Takeaway
Simplify code for speed and clarity.
Themes
efficiency
readability
software design
Mood
pragmatic
critical
Type
advice
technical
When to use this quote
- debugging
- code reviews
- team programming
- performance tuning
Key Concepts
software engineering
trade‑offs
code complexity
Questions to Reflect On
- Is the speed gain worth the maintenance cost?
- How does readability affect long‑term project health?
A Different Perspective
Simpler code may be slower in edge cases.
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