Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction

Cover......Page 1
Copyright......Page 2
Title......Page 6
Contents at a Glance......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
 Who Should Read This Book?......Page 19
 Where Else Can You Find This Information?......Page 20
 Key Benefits of This Handbook......Page 21
 Why This Handbook Was Written......Page 23
 Author Note......Page 25
Acknowledgments......Page 27
Checklists......Page 29
Tables......Page 31
Figures......Page 33
Part I: Laying the Foundation......Page 38
  1.1 What Is Software Construction?......Page 40
  1.2 Why Is Software Construction Important?......Page 43
  Key Points......Page 45
  2.1 The Importance of Metaphors......Page 46
  2.2 How to Use Software Metaphors......Page 48
  2.3 Common Software Metaphors......Page 50
  Additional Resources......Page 57
  Key Points......Page 58
 3. Measure Twice, Cut Once: Upstream Prerequisites......Page 60
  3.1 Importance of Prerequisites......Page 61
  3.2 Determine the Kind of Software You’re Working On......Page 68
  3.3 Problem-Definition Prerequisite......Page 73
  3.4 Requirements Prerequisite......Page 75
  3.5 Architecture Prerequisite......Page 80
  3.6 Amount of Time to Spend on Upstream Prerequisites......Page 92
  Additional Resources......Page 93
  Key Points......Page 96
  4.1 Choice of Programming Language......Page 98
  4.3 Your Location on the Technology Wave......Page 103
  4.4 Selection of Major Construction Practices......Page 106
  Key Points......Page 107
Part II: Creating High-Quality Code......Page 108
 5. Design in Construction......Page 110
  5.1 Design Challenges......Page 111
  5.2 Key Design Concepts......Page 114
  5.3 Design Building Blocks: Heuristics......Page 124
  5.4 Design Practices......Page 147
  5.5 Comments on Popular Methodologies......Page 155
  Additional Resources......Page 156
  Key Points......Page 160
 6. Working Classes......Page 162
  6.1 Class Foundations: Abstract Data Types (ADTs)......Page 163
  6.2 Good Class Interfaces......Page 170
  6.3 Design and Implementation Issues......Page 180
  6.4 Reasons to Create a Class......Page 189
  6.6 Beyond Classes: Packages......Page 193
  Additional Resources......Page 196
  Key Points......Page 197
 7. High-Quality Routines......Page 198
  7.1 Valid Reasons to Create a Routine......Page 201
  7.2 Design at the Routine Level......Page 205
  7.3 Good Routine Names......Page 208
  7.4 How Long Can a Routine Be?......Page 210
  7.5 How to Use Routine Parameters......Page 211
  7.6 Special Considerations in the Use of Functions......Page 218
  7.7 Macro Routines and Inline Routines......Page 219
  Key Points......Page 223
 8. Defensive Programming......Page 224
  8.1 Protecting Your Program from Invalid Inputs......Page 225
  8.2 Assertions......Page 226
  8.3 Error-Handling Techniques......Page 231
  8.4 Exceptions......Page 235
  8.5 Barricade Your Program to Contain the Damage Caused by Errors......Page 240
  8.6 Debugging Aids......Page 242
  8.7 Determining How Much Defensive Programming to Leave in Production Code......Page 246
  8.8 Being Defensive About Defensive Programming......Page 247
  Additional Resources......Page 249
  Key Points......Page 250
 9. The Pseudocode Programming Process......Page 252
  9.1 Summary of Steps in Building Classes and Routines......Page 253
  9.2 Pseudocode for Pros......Page 255
  9.3 Constructing Routines by Using the PPP......Page 257
  9.4 Alternatives to the PPP......Page 269
  Key Points......Page 271
Part III: Variables......Page 272
 10. General Issues in Using Variables......Page 274
  10.1 Data Literacy......Page 275
  10.2 Making Variable Declarations Easy......Page 276
  10.3 Guidelines for Initializing Variables......Page 277
  10.4 Scope......Page 281
  10.5 Persistence......Page 288
  10.6 Binding Time......Page 289
  10.7 Relationship Between Data Types and Control Structures......Page 291
  10.8 Using Each Variable for Exactly One Purpose......Page 292
  Key Points......Page 295
  11.1 Considerations in Choosing Good Names......Page 296
  11.2 Naming Specific Types of Data......Page 301
  11.3 The Power of Naming Conventions......Page 307
  11.4 Informal Naming Conventions......Page 309
  11.5 Standardized Prefixes......Page 316
  11.6 Creating Short Names That Are Readable......Page 319
  11.7 Kinds of Names to Avoid......Page 322
  Key Points......Page 326
 12. Fundamental Data Types......Page 328
  12.1 Numbers in General......Page 329
  12.2 Integers......Page 330
  12.3 Floating-Point Numbers......Page 332
  12.4 Characters and Strings......Page 334
  12.5 Boolean Variables......Page 338
  12.6 Enumerated Types......Page 340
  12.7 Named Constants......Page 344
  12.8 Arrays......Page 347
  12.9 Creating Your Own Types (Type Aliasing)......Page 348
  Key Points......Page 355
  13.1 Structures......Page 356
  13.2 Pointers......Page 360
  13.3 Global Data......Page 372
  Additional Resources......Page 380
  Key Points......Page 381
Part IV: Statements......Page 382
  14.1 Statements That Must Be in a Specific Order......Page 384
  14.2 Statements Whose Order Doesn’t Matter......Page 388
  Key Points......Page 390
  15.1 if Statements......Page 392
  15.2 case Statements......Page 398
  Key Points......Page 403
  16.1 Selecting the Kind of Loop......Page 404
  16.2 Controlling the Loop......Page 410
  16.3 Creating Loops Easily—From the Inside Out......Page 422
  16.4 Correspondence Between Loops and Arrays......Page 424
  Key Points......Page 426
  17.1 Multiple Returns from a Routine......Page 428
  17.2 Recursion......Page 430
  17.3 goto......Page 435
  Additional Resources......Page 445
  Key Points......Page 447
  18.1 General Considerations in Using Table-Driven Methods......Page 448
  18.2 Direct Access Tables......Page 450
  18.3 Indexed Access Tables......Page 462
  18.4 Stair-Step Access Tables......Page 463
  18.5 Other Examples of Table Lookups......Page 466
  Key Points......Page 467
  19.1 Boolean Expressions......Page 468
  19.2 Compound Statements (Blocks)......Page 480
  19.3 Null Statements......Page 481
  19.4 Taming Dangerously Deep Nesting......Page 482
  19.5 A Programming Foundation: Structured Programming......Page 491
  19.6 Control Structures and Complexity......Page 493
  Key Points......Page 497
Part V: Code Improvements......Page 498
  20.1 Characteristics of Software Quality......Page 500
  20.2 Techniques for Improving Software Quality......Page 503
  20.3 Relative Effectiveness of Quality Techniques......Page 506
  20.4 When to Do Quality Assurance......Page 510
  20.5 The General Principle of Software Quality......Page 511
  Additional Resources......Page 513
  Key Points......Page 514
 21. Collaborative Construction......Page 516
  21.1 Overview of Collaborative Development Practices......Page 517
  21.2 Pair Programming......Page 520
  21.3 Formal Inspections......Page 522
  21.4 Other Kinds of Collaborative Development Practices......Page 529
  Comparison of Collaborative Construction Techniques......Page 532
  Additional Resources......Page 533
  Key Points......Page 534
 22. Developer Testing......Page 536
  22.1 Role of Developer Testing in Software Quality......Page 537
  22.2 Recommended Approach to Developer Testing......Page 540
  22.3 Bag of Testing Tricks......Page 542
  22.4 Typical Errors......Page 554
  22.5 Test-Support Tools......Page 560
  22.6 Improving Your Testing......Page 565
  22.7 Keeping Test Records......Page 566
  Additional Resources......Page 567
  Key Points......Page 570
  23.1 Overview of Debugging Issues......Page 572
  23.2 Finding a Defect......Page 577
  23.3 Fixing a Defect......Page 587
  23.4 Psychological Considerations in Debugging......Page 591
  23.5 Debugging Tools—Obvious and Not-So-Obvious......Page 593
  Additional Resources......Page 598
  Key Points......Page 599
 24. Refactoring......Page 600
  24.1 Kinds of Software Evolution......Page 601
  24.2 Introduction to Refactoring......Page 602
  24.3 Specific Refactorings......Page 608
  24.4 Refactoring Safely......Page 616
  24.5 Refactoring Strategies......Page 619
  Key Points......Page 622
 25. Code-Tuning Strategies......Page 624
  25.1 Performance Overview......Page 625
  25.2 Introduction to Code Tuning......Page 628
  25.3 Kinds of Fat and Molasses......Page 634
  25.4 Measurement......Page 640
  25.5 Iteration......Page 642
  Additional Resources......Page 643
  Key Points......Page 645
 26. Code-Tuning Techniques......Page 646
  26.1 Logic......Page 647
  26.2 Loops......Page 653
  26.3 Data Transformations......Page 661
  26.4 Expressions......Page 667
  26.5 Routines......Page 676
  26.6 Recoding in a Low-Level Language......Page 677
  26.7 The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same......Page 680
  Additional Resources......Page 681
  Key Points......Page 682
Part VI: System Considerations......Page 684
 27. How Program Size Affects Construction......Page 686
  27.1 Communication and Size......Page 687
  27.3 Effect of Project Size on Errors......Page 688
  27.4 Effect of Project Size on Productivity......Page 690
  27.5 Effect of Project Size on Development Activities......Page 691
  Additional Resources......Page 695
  Key Points......Page 696
 28. Managing Construction......Page 698
  28.1 Encouraging Good Coding......Page 699
  28.2 Configuration Management......Page 701
  28.3 Estimating a Construction Schedule......Page 708
  28.4 Measurement......Page 714
  28.5 Treating Programmers as People......Page 717
  28.6 Managing Your Manager......Page 723
  Additional Resources on Managing Construction......Page 724
  Key Points......Page 725
  29.1 Importance of the Integration Approach......Page 726
  29.2 Integration Frequency—Phased or Incremental?......Page 728
  29.3 Incremental Integration Strategies......Page 731
  29.4 Daily Build and Smoke Test......Page 739
  Additional Resources......Page 744
  Key Points......Page 745
 30. Programming Tools......Page 746
  30.2 Source-Code Tools......Page 747
  30.3 Executable-Code Tools......Page 753
  30.4 Tool-Oriented Environments......Page 757
  30.5 Building Your Own Programming Tools......Page 758
  30.6 Tool Fantasyland......Page 759
  Additional Resources......Page 761
  Key Points......Page 762
Part VII: Software Craftsmanship......Page 764
 31. Layout and Style......Page 766
  31.1 Layout Fundamentals......Page 767
  31.2 Layout Techniques......Page 773
  31.3 Layout Styles......Page 775
  31.4 Laying Out Control Structures......Page 782
  31.5 Laying Out Individual Statements......Page 790
  31.6 Laying Out Comments......Page 800
  31.7 Laying Out Routines......Page 803
  31.8 Laying Out Classes......Page 805
  Additional Resources......Page 811
  Key Points......Page 812
  32.1 External Documentation......Page 814
  32.2 Programming Style as Documentation......Page 815
  32.3 To Comment or Not to Comment......Page 818
  32.4 Keys to Effective Comments......Page 822
  32.5 Commenting Techniques......Page 829
  32.6 IEEE Standards......Page 850
  Additional Resources......Page 852
  Key Points......Page 854
 33. Personal Character......Page 856
  33.1 Isn’t Personal Character Off the Topic?......Page 857
  33.2 Intelligence and Humility......Page 858
  33.3 Curiosity......Page 859
  33.4 Intellectual Honesty......Page 863
  33.5 Communication and Cooperation......Page 865
  33.6 Creativity and Discipline......Page 866
  33.8 Characteristics That Don’t Matter As Much As You Might Think......Page 867
  33.9 Habits......Page 870
  Additional Resources......Page 871
  Key Points......Page 872
  34.1 Conquer Complexity......Page 874
  34.2 Pick Your Process......Page 876
  34.3 Write Programs for People First, Computers Second......Page 878
  34.4 Program into Your Language, Not in It......Page 880
  34.5 Focus Your Attention with the Help of Conventions......Page 881
  34.6 Program in Terms of the Problem Domain......Page 882
  34.7 Watch for Falling Rocks......Page 885
  34.8 Iterate, Repeatedly, Again and Again......Page 887
  34.9 Thou Shalt Rend Software and Religion Asunder......Page 888
  Key Points......Page 890
 35. Where to Find More Information......Page 892
  35.1 Information About Software Construction......Page 893
  35.2 Topics Beyond Construction......Page 894
  35.3 Periodicals......Page 896
  35.4 A Software Developer’s Reading Plan......Page 897
  35.5 Joining a Professional Organization......Page 899
Bibliography......Page 900
 A......Page 922
 B......Page 923
 C......Page 924
 D......Page 929
 E......Page 932
 F......Page 933
 G......Page 934
 I......Page 935
 L......Page 937
 M......Page 939
 O......Page 940
 P......Page 941
 R......Page 944
 S......Page 946
 T......Page 948
 V......Page 950
 Z......Page 951