Niklaus Wirth Quotes

Switzerland, Computer Scientist
February 15, 1934

Niklaus Emil Wirth is a Swiss computer scientist, best known for designing several programming languages, including Pascal, and for pioneering several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984 he won the Turing Award, generally recognized as the highest distinction in computer science, for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages.

In the practical world of computing, it is rather uncommon that a program, once it performs correctly and satisfactorily, remains unchanged forever.

Niklaus Wirth
The idea that one might derive satisfaction from his or her successful work, because that work is ingenious, beautiful, or just pleasing, has become ridiculed.

Niklaus Wirth

Software is getting slower more rapidly than hardware becomes faster.

Niklaus Wirth
- Get
- Software
- Hardware
My duty as a teacher is to train, educate future programmers.

Niklaus Wirth
The belief that complex systems require armies of designers and programmers is wrong. A system that is not understood in its entirety, or at least to a significant degree of detail by a single individual, should probably not be built.

Niklaus Wirth
A primary cause of complexity is that software vendors uncritically adopt almost any feature that users want.

Niklaus Wirth
Programming is usually taught by examples.

Niklaus Wirth
A good designer must rely on experience, on precise, logic thinking; and on pedantic exactness. No magic will do.

Niklaus Wirth

Programs should be written and polished until they acquire publication quality.

Niklaus Wirth
Experience shows that the success of a programming course critically depends on the choice of these examples.

Niklaus Wirth