Bjarne Stroustrup

Computer Science Danish 1950 360 quotes

Creator of the C++ programming language.

Most quoted

"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies."

— from Often attributed, widely circulated

"The problem with C is that it's too easy to shoot yourself in the foot. The problem with C++ is that it gives you a loaded gun, and then tells you to go ahead and shoot yourself in the foot, but with style."

— from Humorous anecdote (often attributed, not a private letter)

"C++ is a general-purpose programming language with a bias towards systems programming that supports efficient low-level computation, data abstraction, object-oriented programming, and generic programming."

— from The C++ Programming Language (2nd Edition), 1991

All quotes by Bjarne Stroustrup (360)

C++ is a language that gives you control. With control comes responsibility.

Various interviews and talks

The only way to write robust software is to assume that everything will go wrong.

Various interviews and talks

I'm not a fan of 'agile' for its own sake. I'm a fan of getting things done.

Various interviews and talks

Our civilization runs on software.

Various interviews and talks

The most fundamental problem in computer science is abstraction.

Various interviews and talks

C++ is a multi-paradigm programming language. The design goals for C++ emphasize flexibility, efficiency, and extensibility.

The C++ Programming Language

The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers.

Various interviews and talks

I don't think of C++ as a language that is 'hard' to learn. I think of it as a language that is 'powerful' to learn.

Various interviews and talks

The problem with C++ is that it's too powerful.

Various interviews and talks

My ideal is to make C++ a better C, not a different language.

Various interviews and talks

Design and programming are human activities; they are not mechanical activities.

Various interviews and talks

The fundamental problem with software is that it's too easy to change.

Various interviews and talks

Simplicity is a great virtue but it requires hard work to achieve it and education to appreciate it.

Various interviews and talks

C++ is designed to be a language that can be used for almost anything.

The C++ Programming Language

The job of a language designer is to make the language useful, not to make it perfect.

Various interviews and talks

The problem with object-oriented languages is that they're too good at making objects.

Various interviews and talks

The key to good design is to simplify, simplify, simplify.

Various interviews and talks

The most important thing about a programming language is that it should be useful.

Various interviews and talks

The best code is no code at all.

Various interviews and talks

The purpose of a programming language is to help programmers think.

Various interviews and talks