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Brian Kernighan Biography

Brian Kernighan

Brian Wilson Kernighan (/ˈkɜːrnɪhæn/; born January 1, 1942) is a Canadian computer scientist who worked at Bell Labs alongside Unix creators Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie and contributed to the development of Unix. He is also coauthor of the AWK and AMPL programming languages. The "K" of K&R C and the "K" in AWK both stand for "Kernighan". Since 2000 Brian Kernighan has been a Professor at the Computer Science Department of Princeton University, where he is also the Undergraduate Department Representative.

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Brian Kernighan Quotes

An effective way to test code is to exercise it at its natural boundaries

Boundaries, Code, Effective, Exercise, Tests, Way

Each new user of a new system uncovers a new class of bugs.

Bugs, Class, Debugging, Uncovers, User

Trying to outsmart a compiler defeats much of the purpose of using one.

Compiler, Defeat, Outsmart, Purpose, Trying

Get the weirdnesses into the data where you can manipulate them easily, and the regularity into the code because regular code is a lot easier to work with

Data, Easier, Easily, Regularity, Weirdness

The most effective debugging tool is still careful thought, coupled with judiciously placed print statements.

Debugging, Placed, Programming, Statements, Tool, Tools

Do what you think is interesting, do something that you think is fun and worthwhile, because otherwise you won't do it well anyway.

Fun, Interesting, Think, Thinking

Don't document bad code - rewrite it.

Code, Code Quality, Document, Programming, Rewrite, Software Engineering

As we said in the preface to the first edition, C "wears well as one's experience with it grows. " With a decade more experience, we still feel that way.

Edition, Firsts, Language, Preface, Said, Way

Some compilers allow a check during execution that subscripts do not exceed array dimensions. This is a help, but not sufficient. First, many programmers do not use such compilers because They're not efficient. (Presumably, this means that it is vital to get the wrong answers quickly. )

Mean, Presumably, Sufficient, Use, Wrong, Wrong Answers

C is a razor-sharp tool, with which one can create an elegant and efficient program or a bloody mess.

Bloody, Efficient, Program, Razors, Tools

If you had done something twice, you are likely to do it again.

Done, Likely, Mathematical, Mathematics, Twice

Believe the terrain, not the map

Believe, Map, Maps, Terrain

Controlling complexity is the essence of computer programming.

Complexity, Essence, Programming, Simplicity, Technology

If you're as clever as you can be when you write it, how will you ever debug it?

Clever, Debug, Debugging, Write, Writing

Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it.

Cleverly, Debugging, Definition, Funny, Inspirational, Smart

. . . it is a fundamental principle of testing that you must know in advance the answer each test case is supposed to produce. If you don't, you are not testing; you are experimenting.

Answer, Answers, Fundamentals, Principles, Produce, Test

Trivia rarely affect efficiency. Are all the machinations worth it, when their primary effect is to make the code less readable?

Effect, Efficiency, Statistics, Trivia

90% of the functionality delivered now is better than 100% delivered never.

100, Delivered, Functionality

Another effective [debugging] technique is to explain your code to someone else. This will often cause you to explain the bug to yourself. Sometimes it takes no more than a few sentences, followed by an embarrassed "Never mind, I see what's wrong. Sorry to bother you. " This works remarkably well; you can even use non-programmers as listeners. One university computer center kept a teddy bear near the help desk. Students with mysterious bugs were required to explain them to the bear before they could speak to a human counselor.

Computer, Learning, Listeners, Mind, Sorry, Technique

Mechanical rules are never a substitute for clarity of thought.

Clarity, Clarity Of Thought, Rules, Substitute, Substitutes, Thought