Quotes from Null References: The Billion Dollar Mistake (Verified)

Null References: The Billion Dollar Mistake

A conference presentation where Tony Hoare reflects on his 1965 introduction of the null reference in ALGOL W, candidly calling it his “billion-dollar mistake” due to the widespread software errors and system crashes it has caused over the decades.

Quotes

“I call it my billion-dollar mistake. It was the invention of the null reference in 1965.”
Tony Hoare

✓ Verified quote (primary source)

Topics: Null Software Design Reliability

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Details

• Title: Null References: The Billion Dollar Mistake

• Author: Tony Hoare

• Type: Presentation

• Publisher: QCon

• Publication time: March 13, 2009

• Publication place: London, England

• ISBN: 9780132840279

• Link: https://dl.acm.org/doi/book/10.5555/63445

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