Code Quote by Edsger Dijkstra
“If we wish to count lines of code, we should not regard them as 'lines produced' but as 'lines spent.'”
About This Quote
Source Essay: 1972, "The Humble Programmer", ACM SIGPLAN Notices
Code should be measured by effort spent, not just lines produced, emphasizing quality over quantity.
In simple terms: Measure effort, not lines.
Key Takeaway
Focus on effortful, quality code.
Themes
productivity
quality
software engineering
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
technical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- project planning
- code reviews
- software estimation
- team management
Key Concepts
algorithmic thinking
efficiency
Questions to Reflect On
- How to assess coding effort fairly?
- What metrics capture quality beyond line count?
A Different Perspective
Hard to quantify effort precisely.
![“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)
![“I kind of pride myself on coming onto things that are well-oiled machines and finding a way to bring what I bring and fit in, and raise it to another level if I can. And this [Code Black ] has been another one of those really fun success stories, much like Parks And Recreation, although obviously…” quote by Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ea3/rob-lowe-855_black_i-kind-of-pride-myself-on-coming-onto-th_6557.jpg)
![“[T]he tax code has been piling up, year after year, a symbol of everything gone wrong in America, of arrogant rulers and lost freedom, just waiting for us to pick the whole thing up and heave it away. It has to happen. Free people can put up with such laws only for so long.” quote by Dick Armey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aed/dick-armey-16265_america_t-he-tax-code-has-been-piling-up-year-af_12886.jpg)