Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.
Edsger DijkstraRead
Progress is possible only if we train ourselves to think about programs without thinking of them as pieces of executable code.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We can innovate and improve by changing our perspective on programming to focus on ideas rather than code.
Edsger Dijkstra's quote emphasizes the importance of conceptualizing programming as a way of solving problems and implementing ideas, rather than merely writing lines of code. By shifting our mindset to focus on the underlying logic and principles that drive software development, we can foster creativity and innovation, ultimately leading to better solutions and progress in technology.
Themes
ProgressProgrammingInnovationMindsetTechnology
In practice
Example use cases
In a tech conference talk about modern agile methodologies.
More from Edsger Dijkstra
All quotes →The purpose of abstraction is not to be vague, but to create a new semantic level in which one can be absolutely precise.
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We shall do a much better programming job, provided that we approach the task with a full appreciation of its tremendous difficulty, provided that we stick to modest and elegant programming languages, provided that we respect the intrinsic limitations of the human mind and approach the task as Very Humble Programmers.
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The tools we use have a profound and devious influence on our thinking habits, and therefore on our thinking abilities.
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LISP has jokingly been described as "the most intelligent way to misuse a computer." I think that description is a great compliment because it transmits the full flavour of liberation: it has assisted a number of our most gifted fellow humans in thinking previously impossible thoughts.
Edsger DijkstraRead
A most important, but also most elusive, aspect of any tool is its influence on the habits of those who train themselves in its use. If the tool is a programming language this influence is, whether we like it or not, an influence on our thinking habits.... A programming language is a tool that has profound influence on our thinking habits.
Edsger DijkstraRead
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