Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (October 30, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 020161622X
ISBN-13: 978-0201616224
Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (335 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #8,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #27 in Books > Textbooks > Computer Science > Programming Languages #37 in Books > Computers & Technology > Software #66 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming
Well, after reading most of the glowing reviews here, I was pretty interested in the book. I thumbed through it at a bookstore, and ended up buying on (kudos for the lower price). I read the book, and became confused. I made sure the reviews matched the book title. I read the book again. Quite frankly, I don't see what makes this book so great- not that it is bad and/or a waste of money (though it is on the pricey side given how little you get- big font and big line spacing, like a 7th-grade term paper)- it just isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread.The authors have compiled a list of several tips to keep in mind while programming. Ultimately, I think this is their answer to Fred Brooks' searching for a silver bullet in The Mythical Man-Month, based on their years of experience in the field. It ends up being a lot of "eating your own dog food," in my humble opinion. Just because they met with success using a certain method/tool (usually on financial software) doesn't mean you will. Not all programming practices transcend all boundaries and are generally applicable to all programming problems. Some people are faster and more capable (and more comfortable) with an IDE than with a plain text editor; get off your high horse. I don't agree with most of the tips. Some, however, are absolutely necessary, such as version control. Every tip is tied to an analogy or some story outside of programming- which may be nice to some, but I see it as an insult to a reader's intelligence. Every single tip? Really? Not necessary....really.The majority of the book is language-independent, which is nice.
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