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

Quote by Edsger Dijkstra

Topics: Computers Quotes

Elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a factor that decides between success and failure.

Elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a factor that decides between success and failure.

There should be no such thing as boring mathematics.

There should be no such thing as boring mathematics.

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...

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...

If 10 years from now, when you are doing something quick and dirty, you suddenly...

If 10 years from now, when you are doing something quick and dirty, you suddenly...

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...

APL is a mistake, carried through to perfection. It is the language of the future...

APL is a mistake, carried through to perfection. It is the language of the future...

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.

Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning.

Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning.

Aim for brevity while avoiding jargon.

Aim for brevity while avoiding jargon.

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...

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...

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.

Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.

Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.

The lurking suspicion that something could be simplified is the world's richest source of rewarding...

The lurking suspicion that something could be simplified is the world's richest source of rewarding...

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 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...

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...