Programming Quote by Steve McConnell
““once gotos are introduced, they spread through the code like termites through a rotting house.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Code Complete, 1993
Uncontrolled use of goto statements leads to code that is hard to understand and maintain, spreading bugs like termites.
In simple terms: Gotos make code messy and fragile.
Key Takeaway
Avoid using goto; prefer structured control flow.
Themes
software quality
maintainability
control flow
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
technical
educational
When to use this quote
- legacy code refactoring
- debugging sessions
- code reviews
- teaching programming fundamentals
Key Concepts
structured programming
technical debt
code readability
Questions to Reflect On
- When does a goto truly simplify logic?
- What alternatives can replace a goto?
A Different Perspective
Gotos can sometimes simplify error handling in low‑level code, but alternatives exist.
![“[...] you shouldn't be uneasy about any parts of the architecture. It shouldn't contain anything just to please the boss. It shouldn't contain anything that's hard for you to understand. You're the one who'll implement it; if it doesn't make sense to you, how can you implement it?” quote by Steve McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0a6/steve-mcconnell-11957_architecture_you-shouldn-t-be-uneasy-about-any-parts_574744.jpg)
