Code Complete 2ND Edition

Widely considered one of the best practical guides to programming, Steve McConnells original CODE COMPLETE has been helping developers write better software for more than a decade. Now this classic book has been fully updated and revised with leading-edge practices—and hundreds of new code samples—illustrating the art and science of software construction. Capturing the body of knowledge available from research, academia, and everyday commercial practice, McConnell synthesizes the most effective techniques and must-know principles into clear, pragmatic guidance. No matter what your experience level, development environment, or project size, this book will inform and stimulate your thinking—and help you build the highest quality code.

Discover the timeless techniques and strategies that help you:

• Design for minimum complexity and maximum creativity
• Reap the benefits of collaborative development
• Apply defensive programming techniques to reduce and flush out errors
• Exploit opportunities to refactor—or evolve—code, and do it safely
• Use construction practices that are right-weight for your project
• Debug problems quickly and effectively
• Resolve critical construction issues early and correctly
• Build quality into the beginning, middle, and end of your project

Steve McConnell is recognized as one of the premier authors and voices in the development community. He is Chief Software Engineer of Construx Software and was the lead developer of Construx Estimate and of SPC Estimate Professional, winner of Software Development magazine's Productivity Award. He is the author of several books, including Code Complete and Rapid Development, both honored with Software Development magazine's Jolt Award.

• Chapter 1: Welcome to Software Construction
• Chapter 2: Metaphors for a Richer Understanding of Software Development
• Chapter 3: Measure Twice, Cut Once: Upstream Prerequisites
• Chapter 4: Key Construction Decisions

• Chapter 5: Design in Construction
• Chapter 6: Working Classes
• Chapter 7: High-Quality Routines
• Chapter 8: Defensive Programming
• Chapter 9: The Pseudocode Programming Process

• Chapter 10: General Issues in Using Variables
• Chapter 11: The Power of Variable Names
• Chapter 12: Fundamental Data Types
• Chapter 13: Unusual Data Types

• Chapter 14: Organizing Straight-Line Code
• Chapter 15: Using Conditionals
• Chapter 16: Controlling Loops
• Chapter 17: Unusual Control Structures
• Chapter 18: Table-Driven Methods
• Chapter 19: General Control Issues

• Chapter 20: The Software-Quality Landscape
• Chapter 21: Collaborative Construction
• Chapter 22: Developer Testing
• Chapter 23: Debugging
• Chapter 24: Refactoring
• Chapter 25: Code-Tuning Strategies
• Chapter 26: Code-Tuning Techniques

• Chapter 27: How Program Size Affects Construction
• Chapter 28: Managing Construction
• Chapter 29: Integration
• Chapter 30: Programming Tools

• Chapter 31: Layout and Style
• Chapter 32: Self-Documenting Code
• Chapter 33: Personal Character
• Chapter 34: Themes in Software Craftsmanship
• Chapter 35: Where to Find More Information