Edsger Dijkstra

We must beware of the danger of confusing the complexity of a task with the complexity of the method.

The programmer must seek both perfection of part and adequacy of the whole.

In the final analysis, the success of any programming effort depends on the clarity of thought.

The world of programming is full of paradoxes: the more we learn, the more we realize how little we know.

A good program is like a good sentence: it must be unambiguous and concise.

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.

Structured programming is a tool for coping with program complexity.

The task of the software developer is to create a representation of the problem in terms of the machine.

Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away.

The study of algorithms is the study of the power and limitations of the computer.

One of the great joys of computing is that it makes it possible to do things that were previously impossible.

The essence of programming lies in the power to pose the right questions.

Bugs lurk in corners and hide in places you never thought to look.

The future of computing is not in faster hardware but in better software.

In life as in programming, the devil is in the details.

The beauty of a program is in its simplicity and correctness.

We live in a world where the only constant is change, and computing accelerates it.

The best programs are those written by those who understand the problem deeply.

Programming without discipline is like painting without a canvas.

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.