BK

Brian Kernighan

46quotes

Brian Kernighan: Pioneering Computer Scientist and Author
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Full Name and Common Aliases


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Brian W. Kernighan is one of the most influential computer scientists of our time, known for his groundbreaking work on programming languages and his iconic books on computing.

Birth and Death Dates


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Brian Kernighan was born on January 1, 1942, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Unfortunately, we do not have information on his current status or any notable events that may have marked the end of his life.

Nationality and Profession(s)


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Kernighan is a Canadian computer scientist and professor emeritus at Princeton University. He has made significant contributions to various fields in computing, including programming languages, operating systems, and software engineering.

Early Life and Background


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Growing up in Toronto, Kernighan developed an early interest in science and mathematics. He was an exceptional student, attending the University of Toronto where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Mathematics (1959). Later, he continued his academic pursuits at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received his Ph.D. in Computer Science (1969).

Major Accomplishments


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Brian Kernighan is widely recognized for several key accomplishments:

Co-creator of C programming language: In 1972, Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie co-developed the C programming language, which revolutionized software development with its efficiency and portability.
 Author of "The C Programming Language": This influential book, first published in 1978, is still widely used today as a comprehensive guide to programming in C. The second edition (1988) was co-authored with Dennis Ritchie.

Notable Works or Actions


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Kernighan's work extends beyond the development of C and its documentation:

Contributions to Unix: As part of the Bell Labs team, Kernighan played a crucial role in developing key components of the Unix operating system, including early versions of Bourne shell and utilities.
 Software engineering and programming language design: Kernighan's contributions have significantly influenced software development practices, ensuring C remains an essential tool for programmers worldwide.

Impact and Legacy


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Brian Kernighan's work has had a profound impact on the computing industry:

Influence on computer science education: His book "The C Programming Language" is a classic in programming texts, widely used to teach fundamental principles of software development.
 Legacy as a pioneer in programming languages and operating systems: Kernighan continues to inspire new generations of programmers with his commitment to creating efficient, portable, and effective computing tools.

Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered


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Brian Kernighan is widely recognized for his groundbreaking work on C, its documentation, and his contributions to Unix development. His influence extends beyond the programming community, inspiring innovation in software engineering and computer science education.

Quotes by Brian Kernighan

If you’re as clever as you can be when you write it, how will you ever debug it?
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If you’re as clever as you can be when you write it, how will you ever debug it?
BK
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.
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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.
BK
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.
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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.
BK
An effective way to test code is to exercise it at its natural boundaries.
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An effective way to test code is to exercise it at its natural boundaries.
BK
Believe the terrain, not the map.
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Believe the terrain, not the map.
BK
Do what you think is interesting, do something that you think is fun and worthwhile, because otherwise you won’t do it well anyway.
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Do what you think is interesting, do something that you think is fun and worthwhile, because otherwise you won’t do it well anyway.
BK
Don’t document bad code – rewrite it.
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Don’t document bad code – rewrite it.
BK
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.
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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.
BK
#funny-inspirational
Do what you think is interesting, do something that you think is fun and worthwhile, because otherwise you won't do it well anyway.
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Do what you think is interesting, do something that you think is fun and worthwhile, because otherwise you won't do it well anyway.
BK
#thinking
Controlling complexity is the essence of computer programming.
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Controlling complexity is the essence of computer programming.
BK
#technology
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