Professional software development
by Steve McConnell · first published 2003
6mentions
2recommended by
5HN commenters
2012–2026first – last mentioned
40% recommend60% neutral
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
…state. Before that system was adopted, bridges fell down an average of once a week in the USA. We have a lot more and bigger bridges now, but not nearly as many fall down. Read https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Software-Development-Sch... for case for doing the same thing for software development.
on “Why Ageism Never Gets Old” ↗…think 3-5 books suffice at all. So from the point of view of adding books no-one else has mentioned, from the point of view of C++ Software Engineer, a few of my favourites: Code Complete 2 - McConnel Professional Software Development - McConnel Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (SICP) - Sussmann et all. (main artifact: Implement the scheme interpreter, not in Scheme, but in a language of your choice) Algorithm Design…
on “Ask HN: Name 3-5 books that had the most impact on your career and knowledge?” ↗…down. But apparently we are OK with having software projects routinely overrun budgets by 100+% and still fail to deliver required functionality. Steve McConnell makes the case in http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Software-Development-Sche... that if a true software engineering profession was recognized - not just software developers being called software developers but actual engineering certifications in the field of software development…
on “Do call yourself a programmer, and other career advice” ↗One chapter from “Professional Software Development” by Steve McConnell is directly related to this question. And there is no answer, moreother, I think Software Engineering is still somewhere near the “handcrafting” (if compare with Real Engineering).
on “Are Programmers Engineers?” ↗It seems to me that you are making the same general argument that Steve McConnell (of Code Complete fame) made in his 2003 book "Professional Software Development", namely that CS programs serve a different purpose and clientele than a Software Development or Software Engineering program would serve. So, rather than evolving a CS curriculum, another option would…
on “Ask HN: How would you evolve modern computer science curriculum?” ↗…McConnell called software _engineering_, as opposed to the software engineering program that I went to, which is aligned with McConnell's _software_ engineering. There's a chapter on this in McConnell's Professional Software Development: Shorter Schedules, Higher Quality Products, More Successful Projects, Enhanced Careers. His example of software _engineering_ was McMaster University in Canada, where the graduate could achieve licensure…
on “What makes software development engineering” ↗