The Pragmatic Programmer

After reading Code Complete, I decided to continue with another book that had been on my reading list for a while. The Pragmatic Programmer is another excellent resource for developers. When comparing these two books, I would say that Code Complete is probably a better starting point, since it seems to cover more topics, and provide more details. With that said, Pragmatic Programmer is still a worthwhile read. There is definitely overlap between the two books, but there are some items that Pragmatic Programmer covers, that I didn't remember reading in Code Complete.

The book seems to be more humorous than some of the other software books I've read, which makes for easier, more enjoyable reading. The information in this book is what really helps separate the programmers from the software engineers. These concepts are what help make developers more valuable employees, and more productive engineers.

If you haven't ready Code Complete, I would recommend it first, but with that said I still think Pragmatic Programmer is a worthwhile read.

Software Engineering Handbook - Code Complete

I recently finished reading Steve McConnell's software development manual: Code Complete. It is a hefty read, but well worth it. As I was reading I found myself quickly skimming over some sections that I felt comfortable with, while at the same time other sections really made me think about some of the ways that I approach software development. I also found that some of the topics that I read were things that I tend to do naturally, but it was still nice to see formal definition and documentation to support what I do. The book covers all of the major areas that I would expect an experienced developer to be comfortable with.

Many of the topics are only briefly covered, but it is still an excellent source for how to develop software. For some programmers this may be their first exposure to these topics, so it is a great way to expand your knowledge. Some of these brief introductions should trigger further investigation and research for topics that are of interest. Even if the topics aren't' all covered in depth, it is nice to just know what ideas, practices, and techniques are out there.

In the end, I would say that Code Complete a "must read" for all software engineers, especially for those with at least 2-3 years of experience under their belt. It's still useful for the novice software developer, but the quantity of information may be a little overwhelming for beginners.

Java software development

From what I remember Java is about 15 years old now. Ever since it was released, Java has changed how we do software development. It was one of the first widely used and accepted "pure" object oriented languages. It was one of the best cross platform environments. Java byte code showed that an extra abstraction layer could perform well enough to be a viable option.

Many of Java's ideas and strengths have been copied by other languages and frameworks. These same languages have also learned from some of the mistakes that Java made. Even if Java doesn't become the end-all of software development languages, it will always have a place in history for it's impact on the development community.

Holiday Sale Madness

It seems like almost everything is on sale this holiday season. Especially in the electronics arena. I've seen laptops, desktops, HDTV's, Blu-ray players, and almost everything else you can think of on sale. Overall we all know that the prices of most technology products goes down over time, and the quality/feature set goes up. But these price changes happen in fits and bouts. Prices don't just go down slowly over time, they seem to jump up and down, with the overall trend being a gradual decline. Overall I think this is a good thing for the consumer, but personally it would be nice to see consistent price decreases. Sometimes I think it is frustrating to feel like I need to buy something now, instead of waiting a few months, just because I think I will get a better deal (But maybe that's just a personal problem). Ideally I'd like to know that when I walk into a store or buy something online, that I'm getting the best possible price, independent of which day I buy it on.

Handheld computers

My wife has been trying to decide on some sort of hand held computer/device. At first she wanted an iPhone, then realized the monthly costs weren't worth it. Then she wanted an iPod touch, because it can do many of the same things. Then we stopped by a store and she noticed an Archos internet media tablet. It's got a bigger screen than an iPod touch and some versions appear to run the Android operating system. Now I have the fun task to see if any of these options will actually do what she wants, and then convince her what will be best. Isn't it fun being the local tech guru.