Code Craft: The Practice of Writing Excellent Code
- 13h 26m
- Pete Goodliffe
- No Starch Press
- 2007
You know how to write code that works, but what about code that's well written and easy to understand? And robust and bug-free? If other programmers looked at your handiwork, would they be able to figure out the code's logic and purpose? Exceptional programmers have more than just technical know-how; they adopt the right approach and attitude to development.
Code Craft will help take your programming beyond writing correct code to writing great code, thus turning you into a true programming professional or enhancing your existing professional skills.
With language-agnostic advice that's relevant to all developers, Code Craft covers code-writing concerns such as presentation style, variable naming, error handling, and security. And it tackles broader, real-world programming issues like effective teamwork, development processes, and documentation. Each chapter ends with a Q&A section that reviews key concepts to get you thinking like an expert, making it an especially great reference for newer programmers who want to work professionally and efficiently as part of a team.
This survival guide for the software factory will show you how to:
- Write good code when the world's not helping you
- Avoid disasters and distractions in the workplace
- Assess your abilities accurately and determine ways to improve
- Adopt productive attitudes and follow best practices
There's little more valuable than the advice of a true, programming professional. You'll find Code Craft to be clear, practical, and entertaining throughout, and a great way to take your code (and your career) to the next level.
About the Author
Pete Goodliffe is an expert software developer who never stays at the same place in the software food chain; he’s worked in numerous languages on diverse projects. He also has extensive experience in teaching and mentoring programmers, and writes the regular “Professionalism in Programming” column for ACCU’s C Vu magazine.
In this Book
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On the Defensive—Defensive Programming Techniques for Robust Code
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The Best Laid Plans—The Layout and Presentation of Source Code
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What’s in a Name?—Giving Meaningful Things Meaningful Names
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The Write Stuff—Techniques for Writing “Self-Documenting” Code
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A Passing Comment—How to Write Code Comments
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To Err is Human—Dealing with the Inevitable—Error Conditions in Code
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The Programmer’s Toolbox—Using Tools to Construct Software
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Testing Times—The Black Art of Testing Code
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Finding Fault—Debugging: What to Do When Things Go Wrong
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The Code that Jack Built—Mechanisms to Turn Source Code into Executable Code
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The Need for Speed—Optimizing Programs and Writing Efficient Code
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An Insecurity Complex—Writing Secure Programs
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Grand Designs—How to Produce Good Software Designs
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Software Architecture—Laying the Foundations of Software Design
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Software Evolution or Software Revolution?—How Does Code Grow?
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Code Monkeys—Fostering the Correct Attitude and Approach to Programming
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Together We Stand—Teamwork and the Individual Programmer
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Practicing Safe Source—Source Control and Self-Control
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Being Specific—Writing Software Specifications
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A Review to a Kill—Performing Code Reviews
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How Long is a Piece of String?—The Black Art of Software Timescale Estimation
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Recipe for a Program—Code Development Methodologies and Processes
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The Outer Limits—The Different Programming Disciplines
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Where Next?—All’s Well That Ends Well
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Bibliography
