If debugging is the process of removing software bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in.

Don't blame me for the fact that competent programming, as I view it as an intellectual possibility, will be too difficult for 'the average programmer', you must not fall into the trap of rejecting a surgical technique because it is beyond the capabilities of the barber in his shop around the corner.

It should be noted that no ethically-trained software engineer would ever consent to write a DestroyBaghdad procedure. Basic professional ethics would instead require him to write a DestroyCity procedure, to which Baghdad could be given as a parameter.

Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live.

The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be regarded as a criminal offense.

Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.