Excellence Quote by Edsger Dijkstra
“APL is a mistake, carried through to perfection.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: 1972 IEEE Computer Society, Edsger Dijkstra
Critiques overengineering that turns simple concepts into complex, flawless systems, highlighting loss of clarity.
In simple terms: Overcomplicated solutions hide simplicity.
Key Takeaway
Seek elegant, simple designs.
Themes
simplicity
engineering
design
technology
clarity
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
technical
When to use this quote
- software development
- system architecture
- product design
- team meetings
Key Concepts
systems theory
software engineering
philosophy of technology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does simplicity affect maintainability?
- When is complexity justified?
A Different Perspective
Complexity can improve reliability but may obscure understanding.
![“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 are making a religion out of it, as if the conceptual problems of programming could be solved by a single trick, by a simple form of coding discipline!” quote by Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6ad/edsger-dijkstra-5102_believe_please-don-t-fall-into-the-trap-of-belie_167695.jpg)
