This book is considered a classic but the latest edition was published almost 20 years ago. Is it still relevant? Does it still succeed in its stated goal of bridging the gap between research and commercial software development?
Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
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Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#2Good coding practices don't change much, so yes it is still relevant.
Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#3Good coding practices don't change much, so yes it is still relevant.
Agree, but sometimes looking for recent books with the same underlying message is better than going through the classic.
I read the mythical man month recently and the examples often involving OS/360 development are brutally outdated. I couldn't relate and I had to force myself to finish.
Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#4It's absolutely still relevant, but it might not be as dominant as it was when first released. By that I mean that the landscape of software development has changed significantly with much more community-driven ecosystems (no longer ~just CPAN) and much more programming is figuring out how to think about choosing the right off-the-shelf architectural components.
So, it's relevant and still excellent in guiding you how to write and manage code, but make sure you don't let it lead you to a conclusion that you should write your own code for all aspects of your system.
Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#5Good coding practices don't change much, so yes it is still relevant.
Agree, but sometimes looking for recent books with the same underlying message is better than going through the classic. I read the mythical man month recently and the examples often involving OS/360 development are brutally outdated. I couldn't relate and I had to force myself to finish.
The Mythical Man Month is also super anti-feminist, which I wish people talked about more if they're going to recommend that book.
Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#6Good coding practices don't change much, so yes it is still relevant.
The "Good practices^TM" is a giant bag of mix of good practices, "clean coders", software evangelists and architect's fantasies being collected over various technologies
Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agree, but sometimes looking for recent books with the same underlying message is better than going through the classic. I read the mythical man month recently and the examples often involving OS/360 development are brutally outdated. I couldn't relate and I had to force myself to finish.
The Mythical Man Month is also super anti-feminist, which I wish people talked about more if they're going to recommend that book.
It is not.
Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agree, but sometimes looking for recent books with the same underlying message is better than going through the classic. I read the mythical man month recently and the examples often involving OS/360 development are brutally outdated. I couldn't relate and I had to force myself to finish.
The Mythical Man Month is also super anti-feminist, which I wish people talked about more if they're going to recommend that book.
It's been about ten years since I read it, but I don't remember anything particularly "anti-feminist" in it. Or anything political at all. I'm curious why you think so.
Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agree, but sometimes looking for recent books with the same underlying message is better than going through the classic. I read the mythical man month recently and the examples often involving OS/360 development are brutally outdated. I couldn't relate and I had to force myself to finish.
The Mythical Man Month is also super anti-feminist, which I wish people talked about more if they're going to recommend that book.
lmao
Re: Ask HN: Is "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell still a recommended read?
#10I'd say it's still a good resource to have; it's not just about programming but about project management, planning, etc.
I'd take their recommendations about code style and documentation and whatnot with a grain of salt though, languages, tools and styles have changed since then. Don't skip them, but don't adhere to them religiously; add them to your arsenal of knowledge.
It's also a bit of a slog to read front to back, so consider picking one chapter at a time or only looking up a subject you're curious about; I'd consider it more of a reference.