Obvious bugs

[Anselm Lingnau]

I believe C. A. R. Hoare said something to the effect that there are two kinds
of bug-free programs: some that are so trivial that there are obviously no
bugs, and the others that have no obvious bugs.

Does anybody have the exact wording and a reference? Or was it somebody else
in the first place? Please answer by e-mail; I will post a summary to this
group.

Thanks,
Anselm
--
Anselm Lingnau .................................. lin...@math.uni-frankfurt.de
Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality. --- Jules de Gaultier

[James Hurt]

In article <25...@diane.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de>, lin...@math.uni-frankfurt.de (Anselm Lingnau) writes:
|>Path: heimdall!psinntp!uunet!math.fu-berlin.de!news.dfn.de!informatik.uni-frankfurt.de!math.uni-frankfurt.de!lingnau
|>From: lin...@math.uni-frankfurt.de (Anselm Lingnau)
|>Newsgroups: alt.quotations
|>Subject: Obvious bugs
|>Message-ID: <25...@diane.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de>
|>Date: 11 Aug 93 17:58:50 GMT
|>Sender: ne...@informatik.uni-frankfurt.de
|>Organization: University of Frankfurt/Main, Dept. of Mathematics
|>Lines: 13

|>
|>I believe C. A. R. Hoare said something to the effect that

"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

[Andrew Pinkowitz]

in article <25...@diane.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de>, lin...@math.uni-frankfurt.de (Anselm Lingnau) says:
>
> I believe C. A. R. Hoare said something to the effect that there are two kinds
> of bug-free programs: some that are so trivial that there are obviously no
> bugs, and the others that have no obvious bugs.
>
> Does anybody have the exact wording and a reference? Or was it somebody else
> in the first place? Please answer by e-mail; I will post a summary to this
> group.
>

This was included in a lengthy (6 page) compendium of Computer quotes
compiled and posted by Jarle.Gr...@idt.unit.no (Free Hardware
Foundation UnLtd!!). The quote you have in mind was:

"There are two was of constructing a software design: One way is to
make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies; and the

[Doug Linder]

Anselm Lingnau (lin...@math.uni-frankfurt.de) wrote:
: I believe C. A. R. Hoare said something to the effect that there are two kinds

: of bug-free programs: some that are so trivial that there are obviously no
: bugs, and the others that have no obvious bugs.

"A good programmer is someone who looks both ways before crossing a
one-way street."
- Doug Linder :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug Linder "Professional Angry Young Man and Tilter-at-Windmills."
fa...@access.digex.net Proud to be an atheist.