Bjarne Stroustrup

"I believe that software should be as explicit as possible about what it does."

"There should be one obvious way to do it, but C++ often provides several."

"Memory management is too important to leave to chance."

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

"I try to keep my designs as orthogonal as possible."

"Knowing how to program doesn't mean you know how to design software."

"What one programmer can do in one month, two programmers can do in two months."

"Always leave the code better than you found it."

"The most important resource for a programmer is not the computer, it's the brain."

"You cannot teach beginners top-down programming."

"I believe in the power of abstraction, but not in abuse of it."

"Every decision in language design involves trade-offs."

"A language must be able to express its own fundamental concepts."

"The fear of making errors is the root of much bad programming."

"Performance is a feature, not an afterthought."

"I like to think that C++ is a language for people who want to get their work done."

"Good programmers think about data structures, not about syntax."

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind."

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few people engage in it."

"You get what you pay for—in both money and complexity."

"The connection between code and theory is sometimes tenuous."

"Rules are important, but they must be applied with wisdom."

"I believe that expressing your ideas clearly is more important than following rigid rules."

"The best designs are often the simplest ones."

"A language should help you express your ideas, not hinder you."

"I think the most important skill for a programmer is the ability to learn."

"Code is read much more often than it is written."

"Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."

"The strength of a language is measured by its ability to express complex ideas elegantly."

"I believe in giving programmers the tools they need and trusting them to use them wisely."