Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Quotes for large software projects

Again it is time to talk about larger software projects. This time not only about the "how's" and "where's", let us take a more... humorous approach. Let us have some famous qoutes you could use to get some brains straight back to line.

If someone shows off a very complicated software design to you, consider to quote the following:

"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. The first method is far more difficult."
C.A.R. Hoare

Let's say everything in a huge project is clear - theoretically. Why should implementing it be difficult? Because...

"In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they're not."
Yogi Berra
Long-year-experience and wisdom from my friends:

"Frameworks like Ruby on Rails exist to make simple things even more simple and complex things impossible."
A colleague of mine

A deadline bites. But again, time - while developing in a large project - is somewhat relative:

"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

Cutting the development time by throwing more developers into a project? Reply this:

"Nine people can't make a baby in a month."
Fred Brooks
Not exactly valueable for large projects, but, alas, said by a great man:

"Whereas Europeans generally pronounce my name the right way ('Nick-louse Veert'), Americans invariably mangle it into 'Nickel's Worth.' This is to say that Europeans call me by name, but Americans call me by value."
Niklaus Wirth

Something every programmer of a large project at least said once in his life:

"It works on my machine."
Anonymous Programmer

And, one of my favourites, not exactly from a programmer (but a wise man):

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
Antoine de Saint Exupéry

Look out for some more quotes at "Quotes: 5 different views on computers and programs".

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