APL is a mistake, carried through to perfection. It is the language of the future for the programming techniques of the past: it creates a new generation of coding bums.

Quote by Edsger Dijkstra

Topics: Edsger Dijkstra Quotes

The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question...

The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question...

Aim for brevity while avoiding jargon.

Aim for brevity while avoiding jargon.

The students that, like the wild animal being prepared for its tricks in the circus...

The students that, like the wild animal being prepared for its tricks in the circus...

Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning.

Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning.

Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show...

Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show...

Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.

Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.

Mathematicians are like managers - they want improvement without change.

Mathematicians are like managers - they want improvement without change.

The traditional mathematician recognizes and appreciates mathematical elegance when he sees it. I propose to...

The traditional mathematician recognizes and appreciates mathematical elegance when he sees it. I propose to...

Why has elegance found so little following? That is the reality of it. Elegance has...

Why has elegance found so little following? That is the reality of it. Elegance has...

About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt...

About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt...

It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior...

It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior...

The competent programmer is fully aware of the limited size of his own skull. He...

The competent programmer is fully aware of the limited size of his own skull. He...

Programming is one of the most difficult branches of applied mathematics; the poorer mathematicians had...

Programming is one of the most difficult branches of applied mathematics; the poorer mathematicians had...

There should be no such thing as boring mathematics.

There should be no such thing as boring mathematics.

Many mathematicians derive part of their self-esteem by feeling themselves the proud heirs of a...

Many mathematicians derive part of their self-esteem by feeling themselves the proud heirs of a...

Teaching to unsuspecting youngsters the effective use of formal methods is one of the joys...

Teaching to unsuspecting youngsters the effective use of formal methods is one of the joys...

Don't compete with me: firstly, I have more experience, and secondly, I have chosen the...

Don't compete with me: firstly, I have more experience, and secondly, I have chosen the...

The ability of discerning high quality unavoidably implies the ability of identifying shortcomings.

The ability of discerning high quality unavoidably implies the ability of identifying shortcomings.

I mentioned the non-competitive spirit explicitly, because these days, excellence is a fashionable concept. But...

I mentioned the non-competitive spirit explicitly, because these days, excellence is a fashionable concept. But...

Object-oriented programming is an exceptionally bad idea which could only have originated in California.

Object-oriented programming is an exceptionally bad idea which could only have originated in California.