I've done a reasonable amount of travelling, which I enjoyed, but not for too long at a time. I'm a home-body and get fatigued by it fairly soon, but enjoy thinking back on experiences when I've returned and then often wish I'd arranged a longer stay in the somewhat exotic place.

Dennis Ritchie

Categorized in : Thinking Long Home

UNIX is basically a simple operating system, but you have to be a genius to understand the simplicity.

simplicity genius simple

The only way to learn a new programming language is by writing pr... by Dennis Ritchie

The only way to learn a new programming language is by writing programs in it.

learning writing way

Unix has retarded OS research by 10 years and linux has retarded... by Dennis Ritchie

Unix has retarded OS research by 10 years and linux has retarded it by 20.

linux research years

C is quirky, flawed, and an enormous success. by Dennis Ritchie

C is quirky, flawed, and an enormous success.

quirky programming computer

A language that doesn't have everything is actually easier to pro... by Dennis Ritchie

A language that doesn't have everything is actually easier to program in than some that do

computer simplicity language

I'm still uncertain about the language declaration syntax. by Dennis Ritchie

I'm still uncertain about the language declaration syntax.

syntax uncertain language

C++ and Java, say, are presumably growing faster than plain C, bu... by Dennis Ritchie

C++ and Java, say, are presumably growing faster than plain C, but I bet C will still be around.

java growing faster

... with proper design, the features come cheaply. This approach is arduous, but continues to succeed.

software succeed design

I'm not a person who particularly had heros when growing up. by Dennis Ritchie

I'm not a person who particularly had heros when growing up.

growing growing-up hero

Pretty much everything on the web uses those two things: C and UN... by Dennis Ritchie

Pretty much everything on the web uses those two things: C and UNIX.

unix use two

Obviously, the person who had most influence on my career was Ken Thompson. Unix was basically his, likewise C's predecessor, likewise much of the basis of Plan 9 (though Rob Pike was the real force in getting it together). And in the meantime Ken created the first computer chess master and pretty much rewrote the book on chess endgames. He is quite a phenomenon.

careers real book

The number of UNIX installations has grown to 10, with more expec... by Dennis Ritchie

The number of UNIX installations has grown to 10, with more expected.

unix expected numbers

I'm just an observer of Java, and where Microsoft wants to go wit... by Dennis Ritchie

I'm just an observer of Java, and where Microsoft wants to go with C# is too early to tell.

java microsoft want

I can't recall any difficulty in making the C language definition completely open - any discussion on the matter tended to mention languages whose inventors tried to keep tight control, and consequent ill fate

fate definitions matter

A program designed for inputs from people is usually stressed beyond breaking point by computer-generated inputs.

point-break stressed people

For infrastructure technology, C will be hard to displace. by Dennis Ritchie

For infrastructure technology, C will be hard to displace.

infrastructure hard technology

At least for the people who send me mail about a new language that they're designing, the general advice is: do it to learn about how to write a compiler

writing advice people

Sometimes when you fill a vacuum, it still sucks. by Dennis Ritchie

Sometimes when you fill a vacuum, it still sucks.

vacuums stills sometimes

From an operating system research point of view, Unix is if not dead certainly old stuff, and it's clear that people should be looking beyond it.

research views people

UNIX is simple and coherent, but it takes a genius (or at any rate, a programmer) to understand and appreciate its simplicity.

simplicity appreciate simple