James Gosling
Often credited as the father of the Java programming language.
Most quoted
"Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as you can, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it."
— from Commonly attributed/quoted by him
"The problem with C++ is that it's too easy to shoot yourself in the foot. Java is much harder to shoot yourself in the foot with, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off."
— from Interview/Presentation, 1996
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
— from often attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, but Gosling has used it in context of software development
All quotes by James Gosling (361)
In computer science, elegance is often the enemy of efficiency, but worth pursuing.
Open source is the future; closed systems are relics of the past.
Code should be written to be read by humans first, machines second.
The best APIs are those that feel intuitive, like they were always meant to be.
Innovation in software comes from questioning the status quo.
Bugs are inevitable, but good design minimizes their impact.
Life is too short for bad code.
Java's garbage collector is like a good friend who cleans up after you.
The real power of computing is in connecting people, not just processing data.
Every great program starts with a simple idea.
Security in software is a mindset, not an afterthought.
I've always believed that portability is key to widespread adoption.
Humor helps in debugging; laugh at the error, then fix it.
The evolution of languages mirrors the evolution of thought.
Teamwork in software development is like an orchestra; harmony is essential.
Don't optimize prematurely; get it working first.
The internet changes everything, especially how we code.
Reflection in code is powerful, but reflection in life is profound.
Java was born out of frustration with existing systems.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication in programming.
Contemporaries of James Gosling
Other Computer Sciences born within 50 years of James Gosling (1955).