10 classic programming quotes from great programmers

If debugging is the process of removing bugs (software defects), then writing is the process of putting bugs in. - Dijkstra

09. The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time. – Tom Cargill

Writing the first 90 percent of a computer program takes 90 percent of the time. The remaining ten percent also takes 90 percent of the time and the final touches also take 90 percent of the time. ~N.J. Rubenking

Software development time is usually like this: the first 90% of the development work takes up 90% of the time of the entire plan, and the remaining 10% also takes 90% of the time of the entire plan, and the same is true for the modifications before the final release. - NJ Rubenking

08. “There are two ways of constructing a software design. One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies. And the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies.”- C.A.R. Hoare

There are two ways to design software: one that is so simple that it is obviously flawless, and one that is so complex that the flaws are not so obvious. — Tony Hall

07. Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight. – Bill Gates

Measuring the development progress of a program by the number of lines of code is like measuring the manufacturing progress of an airplane by its weight. — Bill Gates

06. “Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live.” – Martin Golding

When writing code, always keep in mind that the person who will eventually maintain your code may be a violent psychopath who knows where you live. - Rick Osborne

Supplement: There is also a discussion thread on StackOverflow about this quote, and the answer given may be John Woods.

05. “The trouble with programmers is that you can never tell what a programmer is doing until it’s too late.” – Seymour Cray

The problem with a programmer is that you don't know what he's doing until it's too late. - Seymour Clay

04. Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning. – Rick Cook

Programming today is a race between software engineers who are trying to build bigger and more anti-idiot programs, and the real world, which is creating bigger and better idiots. So far, the real world is winning. - Rick Cook

03. “Most of you are familiar with the virtues of a programmer. There are three, of course: laziness, impatience, and hubris.” – Larry Wall

Most of you are familiar with the virtues of a programmer. Of course, they are these three: laziness, impatience, and hubris. - Larry Wall (creator of the Perl language)

02. “Sometimes it pays to stay in bed on Monday， rather than spending the rest of the week debugging Monday’s code.” – Christopher Thompson

Sometimes I'd rather pay you to stay in bed on Monday than have you spend the rest of the week debugging the code you wrote on Monday. - Dan Solomon

01. Walking on water and developing software from a specification are easy if both are frozen. – Edward V Berard

Walking in water, like developing software from a specification, is easier if both are frozen. - Edward Berard