
Clean Architecture
A Craftsman's Guide to Software Structure and Design
by Robert C. Martin · first published 2017
142mentions
47recommended by
104HN commenters
2012–2026first – last mentioned
45% recommend39% neutral15% critical
Why HN recommends it
Language-agnostic guide to structuring systems, with practical advice on separating business logic from frameworks and SOLID principles; suits developers moving from writing code to designing software structure.
Common criticism: Some find it fluffy, or prone to over-abstraction when followed strictly
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Which CS/Programming related book(s) that were released in 2017 would you suggest? My suggestion: Clean Architecture by Robert Martin
on “Ask HN: CS and programming books of 2017” ↗…already a great first step! Besides Martin Fowler which was already recommended, I would also recommend the books by Robert C. Martin (Uncle Bob), and his "Clean" series - there are books "Clean Code", "Clean Architecture" - all of them are really good and useful and will give you a solid foundation to build on. Other than that, the best thing you can do is to get practice & ideally surround yourself with more experienced…
on “Ask HN: How to get good at designing big and complex applications?” ↗If you liked this I highly recommend "Clean Architecture" by Uncle Bob. He has a great story of how they kept putting off switching to a SQL DB on a project and then never needed to and it was a big success anyway.
on “An Unlikely Database Migration” ↗Clean architecture: https://smile.amazon.com/Clean-Architecture-Craftsmans-Softw... Anything that touches the real world should be as small as possible. I've been writing code using tests for about 4+ years and I now…
on “Write tests. Not too many. Mostly integration” ↗Clean Architecture https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18043011-clean-architect... The Art of Scalability (2nd edition) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25686275-the-art-of-scal...
on “Web Architecture 101” ↗* Clean Architecture by Uncle Bob * So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport * Deep Work by Cal Newport * The Freelance Manifesto by Joey Korenman (even though I am far from being a motion designer, it still has a…
on “Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?” ↗"Clean Architecture" by Robert C. Martin.
on “Ask HN: What are some good books about non-code elements of software?” ↗I'd recommend Clean Architecture by Robert Martin.
on “Ask HN: What are good books on SW architecture that don't sell microservices?” ↗Huge fan of this architecture, and have implemented several successful systems using ideas from this and Robert Martin's Clean Architecture. A subscription service, a payment processing service, and simple service that allowed soundcloud users to trade follows for free downloads. In the beginning it starts out feeling over-engineered, but…
on “Hexagonal architecture” ↗Here are some books, talks and papers that I've found really influential: Clean Architecture (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0134494164) - Uncle Bob has been talking about this for years, but it's a really good exploration of how to build systems. Turning the Database Inside Out is a talk that really…
on “Ask HN: CS papers for software architecture and design?” ↗I do like: Clean Architecture[0], its pretty much language agnostic and has some nice examples on overall structural decision making -- from small to large projects. >> The goal would be to end with as least amount of tech debt and…
on “Ask HN: What are the best textbooks in your field of expertise?” ↗I'd recommend the following: Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship [0] is a great book on writing and reading code. Similarly, Clean Architecture: A Craftsman's Guide to Software Structure and Design [1] is, no surprise, a book on organizing and architecting software. Designing Data-Intensive Applications [2] may be overkill for your situation,…
on “Ask HN: How do you improve as a self-taught programmer?” ↗(None of these are affiliate links) https://www.amazon.com/Domain-Driven-Design-Tackling-Complex... https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Code-Handbook-Software-Craftsma... https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Architecture-Craftsmans-Softwar... https://www.amazon.com/Patterns-Enterprise-Application-Archi... https://www.amazon.com/Refactoring-Improving-Existing-Addiso... https://www.amazon.com/Code-Complete-Practical-Handbook-Cons...…
on “Microsoft changed how it interviews software developers” ↗Another few books I've found incredibly helpful: Clean Code: https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Code-Handbook-Software-Craftsma... Clean Architecture: https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Architecture-Craftsmans-Softwar... Domain Driven Design: https://www.amazon.com/Domain-Driven-Design-Tackling-Complex...
on “Programming Books You Wish You Read Earlier” ↗…helped me the most. This is due to the fact that the concepts and principles you learn can be applied to many languages. Two I've enjoyed are: "The Pragmatic Programmer" by Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas "Clean Architecture" by Robert C Martin That being said, no harm in deep diving individual languages. Secrets of a JavaScript Ninja by John Resig was an excellent introduction to JavaScript!
on “Ask HN: Whats the best book on your favorite programming language or topic?” ↗