Code Complete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Code Complete (ISBN 1-55615-484-4) is a 1993 software development book by Steve McConnell urging developers to get past code and fix programming and the "big design up front" waterfall model. It is also a compendium of useful software construction techniques, from naming variables to deciding when to write a subroutine.
McConnell defines coding and debugging as the main activities in construction, followed by
- detailed design
- construction planning
- unit testing
- integration, and
- integration testing
Although he does not dismiss the value of other aspects of software development such as requirements and documentation, McConnell emphasizes the construction of software because:
- Construction is a large part of software development.
- Construction is the central activity in software development.
- With a focus on construction, the individual programmer's productivity can improve enormously.
- Construction's product, the source code, is often the only accurate description of the software.
- Construction is the only activity that's guaranteed to be done.
The second edition was released in June 2004 (ISBN 0-7356-1967-0).
