I know you asked for books or blog posts, but I believe the best way is to read lots of code from the tools you use. Look into how your favorite libraries do things, for a start.
Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
61–70 of 134 posts
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#62The Missing Readme” book seems right up your alley https://nostarch.com/missing-readme “The Missing README fills in that gap—a distillation of workplace lessons, best practices, and engineering fundamentals that the authors have taught rookie developers at top companies for more than a decade” Get it just for the “Design Doc” template!
seconding this, very high signal-noise ratio.
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#63"You're Not Listening" by Kate Murphy. It's not at all software related but it will make you a better teammate, partner (i.e., client relationship), manager and/or leader. Technology is the easy part. People, that's the difference between average and above.
"Software engineering at Google" (O'Reilley) has a lot of "team focused" advice also, it's overall pretty non-technical but generally a good read. Free to read online too https://abseil.io/resources/swe-book
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#64'Becoming A Technical Leader', Gerald Weinberg. Jerry, working for IBM, designed the telemetry system NASA used to track early manned space flights and then spent a career helping organizations, teams, and people achieve their goals, both technical and personal. He wrote many books on the topics you mention, all of them worthwhile. I picked this one as a place to start.
'Making Things Happen', Scott Berkun. Berkun was a successful developer and product manager at Microsoft and the book captures his reflections and research on project management.
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#65So I asked this same question to ChatGPT, here's its response. This thing really does have the potential to be a good recommendation tool for books/resources.
"Here are a few books that may be helpful for improving your skills as a software engineer:
"The Pragmatic Programmer" by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas: This book offers practical advice on a wide range of topics, including how to write clean and maintainable code, how to work effectively with others, and how to manage your time and priorities.
"Clean Code" by Robert C. Martin: This book focuses on the importance of writing code that is easy to read and understand, and provides specific guidance on how to write clean and maintainable code.
"Peopleware" by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister: This book discusses the human side of software development, including how to create effective teams and work environments, and how to avoid common pitfalls such as overwork and burnout.
"Agile Software Development" by Alistair Cockburn: This book provides an introduction to agile software development methodologies, which are designed to help teams deliver high-quality software quickly and efficiently.
In addition to these books, there are many excellent blog posts and online resources on these topics. Some websites that may be helpful include the Pragmatic Programmer blog, the Agile Alliance website, and the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes journal.
Another helpful resource may be attending conferences and workshops on software engineering and related topics. These can provide opportunities to learn from experts in the field, network with other professionals, and stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices. Many conferences and workshops also offer certification programs, which can be a valuable way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise to potential employers. Some well-known conferences in the software engineering field include the ACM SIGSOFT International Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering (FSE), the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (CHI), and the International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE). "
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's a good answer, who cares where it's from?
The last two books are not even close to relevant to the question, they're just generic business-flavored self-help.
I can promise you that if you don't learn to get organized and if you don't learn to influence people, there's a ceiling to where you can go as a software engineer.
I don't know if I had recommended these specific books, but they're certainly relevant.
To bring this back to the main topic: For persuasion/negotiation, I prefer Stuart Diamond's "Getting More". For negotiation & communication with a power differential, I'd go for "Nonviolent communication" by Marshall/Rosenberg. (For finding an organization scheme, IDK. GTD is not the worst book. I know of none significantly better, but I also question the nature of a work environment where we drown in tasks. So, maybe Cal Newport's books instead)
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#67Mythical Man Month by Fred Brooks is pretty good.
There is also the Design of Everyday Things (TDoET) by Don Norman.
Structured Design from 1975 by Larry L. Constantine and Ed Yourdon is another excellent book that I am currently reading now.
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#68I have all of these on my shelf. Fantastic reads. * Extreme Programming Explained by Kent Beck * Clean Code and The Clean Coder by Robert C. Martin * Soft Skills by John Sonmez (1st edition) * Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas * Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers * The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick Brooks (Selfish plug) Additionally, I wrote my own book concerning the entire…
Robert C. Martin has ruined so many mid organizations it's kind of funny
Having never read Clean Code, why do you say that?
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#69I have all of these on my shelf. Fantastic reads. * Extreme Programming Explained by Kent Beck * Clean Code and The Clean Coder by Robert C. Martin * Soft Skills by John Sonmez (1st edition) * Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas * Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers * The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick Brooks (Selfish plug) Additionally, I wrote my own book concerning the entire…
Robert C. Martin has ruined so many mid organizations it's kind of funny
If you want your criticism to be taken seriously, please be specific.
There is apparently a large group of people who hate everything he does and also, seemingly, him personally. Everywhere he (or any of his books) is mentioned, the haters come out, with their vague “it’s all bad” and the old standard “I don’t know where to begin”. Serious criticism can be found (if you look for it), and he himself welcomes it, but the constant vague hate is scary to see.
Re: Ask HN: Reading material on how to be a better software engineer?
#70So I asked this same question to ChatGPT, here's its response. This thing really does have the potential to be a good recommendation tool for books/resources. "Here are a few books that may be helpful for improving your skills as a software engineer: "The Pragmatic Programmer" by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas: This book offers practical advice on a wide range of topics, including how to write clean and maintainable co…
This answer scares me. Wow