Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
by Steve McConnell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Steve McConnellBrand: Microsoft
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-07-07
ISBN: 0735619670
Number of pages: 960
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Book Reviews of Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
Book Review: A "must read" for software development professionals
Summary: 5 Stars
I encountered the first edition of this book back in the mid 1990's. The opinion I had of it at that time has not changed: Steve McConnell's "Code Complete" is a "must read" book for anyone developing or maintaining software, particularly those in senior and leadership roles - Sr. and Lead Developers, Software Architects, Managers, etc.
"Code Complete" is a distillation of years of experience on Mr. McConnell's part, backed up with research and references from a wide variety of sources, including research papers, journal articles and books. His style is easy to read, he focuses on the practical aspects of the development process, presenting the pros/cons and applicability of each of his recommendations in a solution-focused manner. This isn't a book marketing some theory of what's best, but really concentrates on what works, what doesn't, and how to excel as a software development professional. His points and recommendations are clear and well-supported - and will often be eye-opening material for the reader, no matter how experienced they are in this industry.
"Code Complete" focuses on software development as a discipline, and encourages the reader to think of it as a major component of the overall software development process, including not only the initial specification / design / build / test and deploy cycle, but designing and building the code to enhance its long term "maintainability" and "enhancability". --- The initial deployment of an application is only the first step in its lifecycle: Mr. McConnell makes the strong case that designing and building an application without concern for its long term impact and viability is an expensive mistake.
It's been so long snce I read the first editon "Code Complete" that I cannot compare or contrast the two, but I can say that reading this edition has reinforced and expanded-on many of the practices I adopted years ago as a result of reading this volume and Rapid Development. It is clear the author has kept abreast of the latest research and best practices as the science of software development has evolved since the first edition was published.
When this book first came out, I strongly recommended that my team read it, and have recommended so many times for new developers and especially senior members of subsequent projects I've led. That recommendation stands - and, if anything, is even stronger: frankly, anyone who aspires to a leadership role in software development efforts and who has **not** read this book is needlessly handicapping their ability to succeed in this industry.
I have not heard of this book being used in a college course, which is perhaps understandable, given that it is designed for the benefit of professionals already out "in the field" - but it should be!
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