Code Complete
A Practical Handbook of Software Construction

My primary concem in writing this book has been to narrow the gap between
the knowledge of industry gurus and professors on the one hand and common
commercial practice on the other. Although leading-edge
software-development practice has advanced rapidly in recent years, common
practice hasn't. Many programs are snu buggy, late, and over budget, and
many fail to satisfy the needs of their users. --Steve McConnell

A new book from Microsoft Press promises to help self-taught programmers,
programming students, and professional developers write better programs in
less time and with fewer headaches.

CODE COMPLETE, by Steve McConnell, is an in-depth study of software
construction, often the part of the software-development cycle most
neglected by researchers and writers. It offers keen insight into why
programmers have had problems in the past and shows how to avoid them in
the future. Plus, the book provides a larger perspective on the
software-development process and the role of construction in that process.
Armed with this valuable handbook, programmers will be able to take
strategic action rather than fight the same battles again and again.
Developers at all levels get:

A Complete Software-Construction Reference 

The author discusses general aspects of construction such as software
quality and ways to think about programrning; then gets into the
nitty-gritty construction details such as the steps in building a routine;
ins and outs of using data and control structures; layout, commenting,
using reviews and unit testing to improve quality; debugging; and
code-tuning techniques and strategies.

Ready-to-Use Checklists 

Readers can use the book's handy checklists to assess software
architecture, design approach, module and routine quality, variable names,
control structures, layout, test cases, and much more.

State-of-the-Art Information 

Some of the most up-to-date techniques--many of which have not yet made it
into common use--are presented. Case studies are included from Microsoft
and several other leading software companies.

Concepts and Code Examples Applicable to Any Procedural Language

Convinced that programming principles transcend the syntax of any specific
language, the author describes techniques programmers can use to get the
most out of whatever language they're using in any computing environment.
Some 500 examples of code (good and bad) in C, C++, Ada, Basic, Fortran,
and Pascal are included.

Access to Other Sources of Information 

Throughout the chapters, "FurLher Reading" sections describe other books
and articles readers can turn to for pursuing the topics they find most
interesting. Margin notes highlight related sections of the book, and
entertain questions from several fields comment on the text. A complete
bibliography is located at the back of the book.

The only other way to obtain all the valuable information in CODE COMPLETE
might be to plow through a mountain of books and a few hundred technical
journals. And even programmers who have already done that will benefit
from the book's collection of information in one place for easy reference.
An annotated table of contents and a comprehensive index help readers
quickly locate information on any topic in the book.

Steve McConnell has personally written more than 50,000 lines of production
code in the last five years and is a consultant to software-intensive
companies in the Puget Sound area, including Microsoft Corporation. He is
a member of the IEEE Computer Society and the ACM.

MicrosoR Press is the book division of Microsoft Corporation and the
leading publisher of quality computer books about Microsoft products. More
than 10 million users at all skill levels rely on a complete line of
Microsoft Press books to make learning and using software easier. Titles
ranging from streamlined tutorials for first-time computer users to
technical references for professional programmers are distributed to book
and software retailers worldwide. Consumers in the United States can also
order directly from the publisher at 1-800-MSPRESS.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of
products and services for business and personal use, each designed with
the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take
advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Code Complete
by Steve McConnell
880 pages, $35.00
ISBN: 1-55615-484-4

Microsoft Press, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399
206-882-8080

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