This is generally true: any sizeable piece of program, or even a complete program package, is only a useful tool that can be used in a reliable fashion, provided that the documentation pertinent for the user is much shorter than the program text. If any machine or system requires a very thick manual, its usefulness becomes for that very circumstance subject to doubt!


Dijkstra, "On the reliability of programs" (EWD 303)

E.W. Dijkstra Archive: On the reliability of programs. (EWD303)[cs.utexas.edu]

Edsger W. Dijkstra Quotes

This is generally true: any sizeable piece of program, or even a complete program package, is only a useful tool that can be used in a reliable...

This is generally true: any sizeable piece of program, or even a complete program package, is only a useful tool that can be used in a reliable...

This is generally true: any sizeable piece of program, or even a complete program package, is only a useful tool that can be used in a reliable...

This is generally true: any sizeable piece of program, or even a complete program package, is only a useful tool that can be used in a reliable...