Software Engineering

"We see three critical differences between programming and software engineering: time, scale, and the trade-offs at play. On a software engineering project, engineers need to be more concerned with the passage of time and the eventual need for change. In a software engineering organization, we need to be more concerned about scale and efficiency, both for the software we produce as well as for the organization that is producing it. Finally, as software engineers, we are asked to make more complex decisions with higher-stakes outcomes, often based on imprecise estimates of time and growth." (Winters, T., Manshreck, T., & Wright, H. (n.d.). Software engineering at google: Lessons learned from programming over time. O'Reilly Media.)

Quick Links

The Scribe's Oath • Robert "Uncle Bob" Martin • GOTO 2017
We are the modern day scribes. Nothing happens in our society without us. But so far, we are unorganized, undisciplined, and we have no unifying ethics or standards. Society is becoming aware of us.

Software developers have become both villains and heroes in our culture. More importantly, our society depends critically upon us. What oath, if any, should we swear? How would we enforce it?

The Programmer's Oath

In order to defend and preserve the honor of the profession of computer programmers, I Promise that, to the best of my ability and judgement:

I will not produce harmful code.
The code that I produce will always be my best work. I will not knowingly allow code that is defective either in behavior or structure to accumulate.
I will produce, with each release, a quick, sure, and repeatable proof that every element of the code works as it should.
I will make frequent, small, releases so that I do not impede the progress of others.
I will fearlessly and relentlessly improve my creations at every opportunity. I will never degrade them.
I will do all that I can to keep the productivity of myself, and others, as high as possible. I will do nothing that decreases that productivity.
I will continuously ensure that others can cover for me, and that I can cover for them.
I will produce estimates that are honest both in magnitude and precision. I will not make promises without certainty.
I will never stop learning and improving my craft.

Software Development Envionment

Vagrant vs. Docker: Which Is Better for Software Development? - When Vagrant arrived on the scene, they introduced several different virtualization tools in order to provide an easy and consistent cross-platform experience for developers. Docker then combined the Vagrant model with some Linux-specific technologies and took our ability to recreate environments to the next level.
Vagrant vs Docker: Which is Better for Development? - Docker and Vagrant are based on the idea of “virtual” computing environments, where your application will run in a predictable and repeatable way. The goal is that if your buddy says “It works on my machine”, you know it will work on yours too, and the production server.
Docker vs. Vagrant: What’s Right for Development - According to research, “Docker and Vagrant are two tools that could be used to provision infrastructure. Vagrant is a tool used to automate the configuration of virtual machines, while Docker encapsulates the project into containers.

Books

Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions and Solutions
Cracking the Coding Interview, 6th Edition is here to help you through this process, teaching you what you need to know and enabling you to perform at your very best. I've coached and interviewed hundreds of software engineers. The result is this book.

The Mythical Man-Month
Few books on software project management have been as influential and timeless as The Mythical Man-Month. With a blend of software engineering facts and thought-provoking opinions, Fred Brooks offers insight for anyone managing complex projects. These essays draw from his experience as project manager for the IBM System/360 computer family and then for OS/360, its massive software system. Now, 20 years after the initial publication of his book, Brooks has revisited his original ideas and added new thoughts and advice, both for readers already familiar with his work and for readers discovering it for the first time.

Code Simplicity: The Fundamentals of Software
The book exists to help all programmers understand the process of writing software, on a very fundamental level that can be applied to any programming language or project, from here into eternity. Code Simplicity is also written in such a way that even non-technical managers of software teams can gain an understanding of what the “right way” and the “wrong way” is (and why they are right and wrong) when it comes to software design. The focus of the book is primarily on “software design,” the process of creating a plan for a software project and making technical decisions about the pattern and structure of a system.

Understanding Software: Max Kanat-Alexander on simplicity, coding, and how to suck less as a programmer
In Understanding Software, Max Kanat-Alexander, Technical Lead for Code Health at Google, shows you how to bring simplicity back to computer programming. Max explains to you why programmers suck, and how to suck less as a programmer. There's just too much complex stuff in the world. Complex stuff can't be used, and it breaks too easily. Complexity is stupid. Simplicity is smart.

Software Engineering at Google: Lessons Learned from Programming Over Time
The approach to and understanding of software engineering at Google is unlike any other company. With this book, you'll get a candid and insightful look at how software is constructed and maintained by some of the world's leading practitioners.

Building Maintainable Software
Have you ever felt frustrated working with someone else's code? Difficult-to-maintain source code is a big problem in software development today, leading to costly delays and defects. Be part of the solution. With this practical book, you'll learn 10 easy-to-follow guidelines for delivering Java software that's easy to maintain and adapt. These guidelines have been derived from analyzing hundreds of real-world systems.

Building Software Teams: Ten Best Practices for Effective Software Development
Why does poor software quality continue to plague enterprises of all sizes in all industries? Part of the problem lies with the process, rather than individual developers. This practical guide provides ten best practices to help team leaders create an effective working environment through key adjustments to their process.