After Code Complete which was a complete programming solution by Steve McConnell, Complete Code 2 has been totally updated and hundreds of new code samples have been included, No matter, what is your experience level is Steve McConnell has arranged it in a way that, everyone can be benefited without depending upon your project level or development environment.
Code Complete 2 has six main sections as below;
- Laying the foundations
- Creating high-quality code
- Variables; Statements
- Code improvements
- System considerations
- Software craftsmanship
It’s hard to single out a single section that has helped programmers the most, but in my opinion the section on debugging stands out as one that has enormously benefit loads of programmers.
Following are the points in Code Complete 2 that should be useful for the programmers;
- Abstract Data Type’s are not mathematical objects, it is a way to work in the problem domain.
- Use Routines 100-200 lines which are error free.
- Use positive boolean variables names to avoid double negatives
- Centralizing control over things that might change is good.
- Use table based approaches rather than troublesome ifs/switch statements.
- Code reviews are more useful than testing.
- Please make sure how much time long brute-force technique will take while, debugging.
- Plan construction earlier then incremental integration.
Below are few more reviews by some professionals;
Ralph Johnson, University of Illinois; Coauthor, Design Patterns, “The first edition of Code Complete is on my list of software engineering classics; the second edition is even better.”
Larry O’Brien, Knowing .NET, “For 10 years, Code Complete has been a must-buy not for lack of would-be competitors but that McConnell set a standard that no one else has come close to matching. Code Complete, Second Edition will finally displace Code Complete from the shelves and will become a standard until, I suspect, McConnell writes a third edition sometime in the next decade…. Code Complete, Second Edition deserves to be the most read software development book of the year, a distinction which it almost undoubtedly will achieve.”
Ed Schaefer, Unix Review, “Code Complete has affected the way I think about developing software like no other book has. I know it’s trite, but if ever a technical book deserved to be an ‘instant classic’, this is it. I applaud McConnell not only for codifying the knowledge–writing it down–but for including key points and check lists. “
Mike Riley, asp.netPRO, “Every page offers pragmatic insight gained through years of effective coding experience and continues to be the principal handbook of software construction success for its practitioners. Project leaders should read this book cover to cover, and then purchase a copy for each of their direct reports. “
