Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 14:32:17 -0800 From: Brian Sobolak <sobolak@mindspring.com> To: j mckitrick <jcm@FreeBSD-uk.eu.org> Cc: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Code Complete by McConnell - comments? Message-ID: <23101605971.20020110143217@mindspring.com> In-Reply-To: <20020110130733.A41818@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org> References: <20020110130733.A41818@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org>
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hi Thursday, January 10, 2002, 5:07:33 AM, you wrote: jm> Is this a worthy addition to any programmer's library, or is it too MS jm> biased? Are any or most of the guidelines applicable to BSD source jm> code, or is BSD a bit of a relic style-wise? In general, I like his books a lot. While he uses examples from acting as a consultant to Microsoft, I wouldn't say that it is Microsoft centric. I'd say Code Complete is a worthy addition, in so far as it has actual data to back up common questions that come up such as "how long should function names be?" or "how much commenting is enough commenting?". He cites studies, which I find useful compared with similar books I've seen which seem to usually be "some guy's thoughts on software." It gives broad recommendations, and will probably be useful in challenging some bad habits you might have acquired over the years. As for the code, the examples are in C, Pascal and Basic (not visual basic, but BASIC). I can't comment if it's useful for BSD source code (i haven't dabbled in those potent potions yets), but it's useful. I'd also strongly recommend his other books, perhaps even more than Code Complete. The Software Project Survival Guide is short, and gives some simple basics about project management and software development. It's easy to say "I'm a coder, I don't need that crap", but it's really worth reading. If you've ever worked on a project that's been horribly buggy, excessively late, or flat-out cancelled months after deadline, you might stand to learn something. Try before you buy: he has excerpts on his website. http://www.construx.com/stevemcc/ (requires frames support) brian -- Got work? http://www.planetshwoop.com/resume/ This is how I think: http://www.planetshwoop.com/blog/ Brian Sobolak sobolak@mindspring.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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