Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Emil Wirthis 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...
NationalitySwiss
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth15 February 1934
CountrySwitzerland
Niklaus Wirth quotes about
forever world computer
In the practical world of computing, it is rather uncommon that a program, once it performs correctly and satisfactorily, remains unchanged forever.
sight drawing design
Professors typically spend their time in meetings about planning, policy, proposals, fund-raising, consulting, interviewing, traveling, and so forth, but spend relatively little time at their drawing boards. As a result, they lose touch with the substance of their rapidly developing subject. They lose the ability to design; they lose sight of what is essential; and they resign themselves to teach academically challenging puzzles.
code-quality people perfection
Time pressure gradually corrupts an engineer's standard of quality and perfection. It has a detrimental effect on people as well as products
names way call-me
Whereas Europeans generally pronounce my name the right way ('Ni-klows Wirt'), Americans invariably mangle it into 'Nick-les Worth'. This is to say that Europeans call me by name, but Americans call me by value.
engineering yield resources
Good engineering is characterized by gradual, stepwise refinement of products that yields increased performance under given constraints and with given resources.
choices experience example
Experience shows that the success of a programming course critically depends on the choice of these examples.
time effort quality
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.
steps construction program
Program construction consists of a sequence of refinement steps.
tests systematic candidates
It is evidently necessary to generate and test candidates for solutions in some systematic manner.
programming faster software
Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster.
designer program interest
Reliable and transparent programs are usually not in the interest of the designer.
engineering woe tools
Indeed, the woes of Software Engineering are not due to lack of tools, or proper management, but largely due to lack of sufficient technical competence.
activity certain creative examples exhibit serving taught
The creative activity of programming - to be distinguished from coding - is usually taught by examples serving to exhibit certain techniques.