Steve McConnell

Steven C. McConnell is an author of many software engineering textbooks including Code Complete, Rapid Development, and Software Estimation. In 1998, McConnell was named as one of the three most influential people in the software industry by Software Development Magazine, along with Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds.^{[citation needed]}

Career

McConnell graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), and a master's degree in software engineering from Seattle University. He then pursued a career in the desktop software industry, working at Microsoft, Boeing, the Russell Investment Group and several other Seattle area firms. At Microsoft, McConnell worked on TrueType as part of Windows 3.1. At Boeing, he worked on a Strategic Defense Initiative project.

McConnell published his first book, Code Complete, in 1993. As of March 2007 he has been the CEO and Chief Software Engineer of Construx Software, a software engineering consulting firm he founded in 1996.

From 1996 to 1998, he was the editor of the "Best Practices" column in the IEEE Software magazine. From 1998 to 2002, he served as the editor-in-chief of the magazine.^[1] Since 1998, he has served on the Panel of Experts of the SWEBOK project. He has also served as the chair of the IEEE Computer Society's Professional Practices Committee. Since March 2006 McConnell has been a member of the executive committee for the Computer Society's Technical Council on Software Engineering.

Bibliography

Books

• Code Complete editions 1 (1993) ISBN 1-55615-484-4. Second edition (2004) ISBN 0-7356-1967-0
• Rapid Development (1996) ISBN 0-07-285060-4
• Software Project Survival Guide (1998) ISBN 1-57231-621-7
• After the Gold Rush (1999) ISBN 0-7356-0877-6
• Professional Software Development: Shorter Schedules, Higher Quality Products, More Successful Projects, Enhanced Careers (2004) ISBN 0-321-19367-9
• Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art (2006) ISBN 0-7356-0535-1

Papers

• From the Editor columns in IEEE Software
• Best Practices columns in IEEE Software

Service and memberships

• Construction Knowledge Area Lead (2003–2004), Panel of Experts (1998–2007) SWEBOK
• Member (1998–2007), chair (2003–2005) IEEE Computer Society Professional Practices Committee
• Editor in chief (1998–2002), columnist (1996–1998), editor in chief emeritus (2003–2007) IEEE Software magazine
• Member, Executive Committee of the IEEE Computer Society's Technical Council on Software Engineering (TCSE) (1998–2006)
• Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP)

Awards

• Seattle University's "Alumni of the Year for Professional Accomplishment" award (2004)
• IEEE Computer Society Golden Core (2003)
• "40 Under 40" award (one of 40 top regional business leaders under 40 years of age), Puget Sound Business Journal (2000)
• Software Development Magazine Productivity Award for After the Gold Rush (2000)
• Software Development Magazine Productivity Award for ESTIMATE Professional estimation software (1999)
• Game Developer magazine Front Line Award for Software Project Survival Guide (1997)
• Software Development Magazine Jolt Award for Rapid Development (1997)
• Software Development Magazine Jolt Award for Code Complete (1994)

References

• TV Interview, University of Washington TV
• Web Interview, on .NET Rocks!

External links

• Steve McConnell's website
• Construx Software, Steve McConnell's company