Niklaus Wirth Quotes

Software Engineering might be science; but that's not what I do. I'm a hacker, not an engineer.

We shifted our philosophy from being a computer mapping group that would support planners to the idea of building actual software that would be well engineered. Because at that time, our software was not well-engineered at all; it was basically built with project funding and for project work, largely by ourselves.

First, I'd like to see the basic tools such as compilers, debuggers, profilers, database interfaces, GUI builders, CAD tools, and so forth fully support the ISO standard.

I have never written a line of commercial code in my life. Nor should I.

I know one business, and that's how to make software.

Software eventually and necessarily gained the same respect as any other discipline.

I have this hope that there is a better way. Higher-level tools that actually let you see the structure of the software more clearly will be of tremendous value.

There is a strong movement towards increased accountability for software developers and software development organizations.

This will surprise some of your readers, but my primary interest is not with computer security. I am primarily interested in writing software that works as intended.

Most of the effort in the software business goes into the maintenance of code that already exists.

The most sought-after candidates in the world today by companies like mine are people who make computer software - there's a shortage of talent.

I think it's a combination of technical and social factors that leads to all the defects in deployed software.

Most software today is very much like an Egyptian pyramid with millions of bricks piled on top of each other, with no structural integrity, but just done by brute force and thousands of slaves.

Yet, I am convinced that there is a need for high quality software, and the time will come when it will be recognized that it is worth investing effort in its development and in using a careful, structured approach based on safe, structured languages.

Like any well designed software product, Windows is designed, developed and tested as an integrated whole.

In any software work, you have IT consultancy competence required to build the systems.

Although the most advanced software innovation may take place in big cities with research universities, there is a lot of work concerning the application of software to business processes and the administration and maintenance of software systems that can be done remotely.

I'm really good at making software for publishing.

The process of software development doesn't feel any better than it did a generation ago.

When someone builds a bridge, he uses engineers who have been certified as knowing what they are doing. Yet when someone builds you a software program, he has no similar certification, even though your safety may be just as dependent upon that software working as it is upon the bridge supporting your weight.

The challenge with Postfix, or with any piece of software, is to update software without introducing problems.

The reality of most software development is that the consequences of failure are simply nonexistent.

I feel lucky because earlier in my career, I found what I liked to do; it's build software that you see your friends using on the street, and they like it.

I'm kind of a retired software engineer. I don't write code anymore.

"Legacy code" often differs from its suggested alternative by actually working and scaling.