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Summary: My favorite book on general programming advice
Review: This is a true must have. This is a true must read. It is already quite old but still fresh and up to date to our everyday problems.
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Summary: Still standing after all these years!
Review: Considering the rapid-fire replacement/evolution of languages, versions, porgamming models, project management and design etc., it is good to see some of the most basic and direct things don't change.
Steve McConnell brings a wonderful, down-to-earth sensibility to a topic that is still not written about very often: software construction, aka building your code. I have to believe it's because he got it right the first time.
The tone is conversational, understandable and clear. The examples are presented in multiple languages, showing some differences between each, the pros/cons of one over another without becoming preachy but while still providing an approach for either that meets the objectives of the topic.
The beginner and the intermediate programmer need this book to get their coding skills up to speed quickly. The experienced programmer needs it handy to loan to the latest newbie and to refine a few bad habits with these well-defined reasons to change them. Project managers might want to look at large portions of this book if they want to try and understand why programmers become frustrated with their requirements, or lack thereof. Managers who have never been coders themselves would read it to begin to understand just what their developers are doing, why they ask the questions that they do, what their biggest roadblocks can be and why we become frustrated with unbridled & unchecked changes & feature creeps. It presents a good case for developing a flexible coding standard.
These days we have so much information coming at us on related but unique topics and are constantly trying to absorb new things that it is comforting to know that plain, old common sense survives. All in all, one of the best software books I have read, and that it is still in print and still of value cannot be overlooked. Having some of the best practices laid out for you makes it easier to remember them. Code well.
Rating:
Summary: Classic & Essential Book for a Programmer
Review: If you are a programmer, get this book ASAP! This will make you a better programmer and give you guidence for continual improvement. This is a great book!The only thing bad about this book is that it is a little outdated (goes up to C language; does not mention C++ or Java), but I think Code Complete 2 is coming out soon.
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Summary: Exhaustive account of programming practices of last 30 years
Review: Buy this book only if you are SERIOUS about programming. Because if you're not, you'll never get through it. McConnell's book is an exhaustive guide to the nitty-gritty details of programming. There are entire CHAPTERS devoted to choosing names for variables, and dozens of pages covering every style of indenting since 1950. I am devouring programming books for my future career, and I am glad that I got this book. It covers all aspects of the design and coding process, with a heavy emphasis on readability and maintainability. It helped me to correct some bad coding practices that I developed. I was most impressed by the references. McConnell has drawn together hundreds of papers, articles, and books written since the 60s and digested them all for you in this compact volume. He frequently quotes statistics and studies to support his claims. (Indenting lines 3-5 spaces boosts comprehension by 68%, but indenting by 6 or more spaces decreases it by 32%) I got a real chuckle on his advice about how to deal with bosses who want to see code during the planning stages -- get printouts from previous projects and leave them around your desk, then lie!
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Summary: The definitive guide on common-sense software development
Review: The subtitle of McConnell's book is "A Practical Handbook of Software Construction". I have found that it lives up to this claim excellently. Like Brook's classic "The Mythical Man-Month" Code Complete offers practical advice on the real-world challenges of software development. Code Complete contains 33 chapters, which can be read as separate essays.
To entry-level programmers and computer science students, this book is an excellent primer on the fundamentals of the industry. For experienced programmers, this book is an great way to review your own development strategies and best practices. For project managers, Code Complete serves as a great source of ideas for process improvement, as well as a great learning tool to pass on to new entry-level hires. My employer has used several chapters out of Code Complete as the basis for discussion topics. McConnell writes in an easy-to-read, entertaining style that has made him one of the most popular authors in the field. His book "Rapid Development", is also an extremely popular book on software development, and many (including me) are anxiously awaiting his next work, "Software Project Survivial Guide". In short, Code Complete belongs in the library of every serious developer
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Summary: An essential volume for your bookshelf
Review: The original Code Complete has long been regarded by many serious software developers as a "must have" compilation of software construction best practices. CC2 has similar breadth and depth and has been thoroughly updated to include discussion of emerging methodologies as extreme programming and best practices such as refactoring. Steve McConnell provides a balanced, thoughtful discussion of competing opinions along with a wealth of references to additional materials covering specific topics in more detail. At the same time, McConnell has a clear voice articulating his judgment on various controversial topics. Overall, CC2 is an essential book to include in your library whether you're just starting out in your career or an old grey hair responsible for mentoring teams. In both cases, CC2 puts a mountain of software construction best practices at your fingertips.
Rating:
Summary: Classic & Essential Book for a Programmer
Review: If you are a programmer, get this book ASAP! This will make you a better programmer and give you guidence for continual improvement. This is a great book! The only bad thing about this book is that it is a little outdated (goes up to C language; does not mention C++ or Java), but I think Code Complete 2 is coming out soon (June 2004).
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Summary: Yet another classic
Review: Have not read the final version, just various chapters released for reader commets. A definite replacement for the first version. All areas have been updated and new chapters on topics such as refactoring.
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Summary: Recommendation
Review: I am not jet finished reading this book, so maybe later I shall have some additional comments. The book is very old (copyright 1993), but it is valuable asset for professional programmer.
This book is the best example of the rule "the more you know the better is your benefit of reading a book". For example, although book does not deal with object oriented programming (as far as I read till now), even if you are professinal programmer who is in object programming you will get something that you very probably missed - a lot of important and fine details that will help you be a better programmer in object world. It is very hard to explain the profit you get with this book, but it is: you get your knowledge of coding polished to the maximum.
To return to the example of OOP (object oriented programming) this book will tell you about the cohesion of your methods (the book calls them traditional names, routines) and sorts of coupling; everything is the pure ground for OOP but from the perspective of traditional programming; even in OOP books you cannot find easily such explanations, and that done in traditional programming.
If you are a beginner, this book will show you how to name the routines and variables, will show you that statistically short routines of say 20 lines are more prone to errors per line of code than routines of 100 lines! Anyway, I do not want to spoil the pleasure of reading the book: don't expect too much from it, but if you are a brilliant programmer who appreciate precision and polishing of your knowledge, you will be on a right track if you choose this book.
Rating:
Summary: Solid book
Review: As the other reviewers have overwhelmingly suggested, this is a solid book. It dives into sufficient detail, but doesn't bog the reader down with useless technicalities. This book is readable and well organized, making it a great reference or learning manual, which are two entities that very rarely exist together. It provides examples to illustrate the respective topics and includes an exhaustive bibliography for those who crave something extra. This book is a good buy.
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