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Best development book I've read, has no code in it

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Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#51

Post by eldavido »

kh_hk wrote: post #3

I am sorry, but for me that book was a no. It just felt like a self help book, but for programmers, which is kind of ok if you are feeling any sort of personal trouble in the field. Not that this is not already told on the back cover, but no, I would not call this book the best development book. I did not buy it, instead, it was the result of participating in a local dev Google something, but it really surprised me h…

Agree, I also dislike the book's pseudo-villification of management, architecture, and anything that isn't typing code in an IDE. I read it, I wouldn't recommend it to others.

Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#52

Post by ericHosick »

Just a story.

I was lecturing a class on UML and Design Patterns to students who had never coded before (basically UML).

The class textbook, lecture notes and lecture slides I was given had a lot of coding examples.

During the 12 week class, I wrote a book on Object Oriented Modeling (staying two chapters ahead for the students) that had almost no source code.

It was a challenge to explain OOM, UML and Design Patterns to students who had no prior coding experience.

I do feel it is totally possible to teach people how to "program" without knowing how to code.

Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#53

Post by pdenya »

ericHosick wrote: post #52

Just a story. I was lecturing a class on UML and Design Patterns to students who had never coded before (basically UML). The class textbook, lecture notes and lecture slides I was given had a lot of coding examples. During the 12 week class, I wrote a book on Object Oriented Modeling (staying two chapters ahead for the students) that had almost no source code. It was a challenge to explain OOM, UML and Design Pattern…

> I do feel it is totally possible to teach people how to "program" without knowing how to code.

What is the benefit here compared to learning programming by coding?

Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#54

Post by UK-AL »

The best development books almost always have no code in it. Success or failure of projects is mostly caused external constraints, pressures and relationships and learning control those factors, and not the specific technologies/programming languages themselves.

Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#55

Post by tsumnia »

ericHosick wrote: post #52

Just a story. I was lecturing a class on UML and Design Patterns to students who had never coded before (basically UML). The class textbook, lecture notes and lecture slides I was given had a lot of coding examples. During the 12 week class, I wrote a book on Object Oriented Modeling (staying two chapters ahead for the students) that had almost no source code. It was a challenge to explain OOM, UML and Design Pattern…

It is possible with the help of flowcharts and pseudo-code; the issue I've run into many times is depending on the class, you'll lose student interest over not actually doing anything. If it is a matter of limited resources, ala no computers, then go for it, but looking back, I'd feel a little short-changed if I couldn't walk out of the class without a functional program, no matter how insignificant.

This is where I liked MIT's EdX course. Mostly Python interpreter, but around the end you were given a GUI simulation of controlling a Roomba. You wrote the Roomba's logic and then ran the simulation. You could walk away from the class and say 'Look at this... I built this'.

Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#56

Post by ericHosick »

tsumnia wrote: post #55
ericHosick wrote: post #52

Just a story. I was lecturing a class on UML and Design Patterns to students who had never coded before (basically UML). The class textbook, lecture notes and lecture slides I was given had a lot of coding examples. During the 12 week class, I wrote a book on Object Oriented Modeling (staying two chapters ahead for the students) that had almost no source code. It was a challenge to explain OOM, UML and Design Pattern…

It is possible with the help of flowcharts and pseudo-code; the issue I've run into many times is depending on the class, you'll lose student interest over not actually doing anything. If it is a matter of limited resources, ala no computers, then go for it, but looking back, I'd feel a little short-changed if I couldn't walk out of the class without a functional program, no matter how insignificant. This is where I…

I do agree that there is really nothing to show that you've done: program wise. On the other hand, the students did learn a lot about critical thinking which, I feel, is a great start to programming.

This was also for a BIS degree (not a CS degree) which focused on the "business" side of information science: so most students weren't interested in coding (though I felt this was not to their advantage).

Really, it was a bit the fault of administration for placing the class in the first semester of the degree when students had not taken any programming classes yet.

Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#57

Post by eru »

ericHosick wrote: post #52

Just a story. I was lecturing a class on UML and Design Patterns to students who had never coded before (basically UML). The class textbook, lecture notes and lecture slides I was given had a lot of coding examples. During the 12 week class, I wrote a book on Object Oriented Modeling (staying two chapters ahead for the students) that had almost no source code. It was a challenge to explain OOM, UML and Design Pattern…

What's the point of learning UML and Design Patterns? (Especially, if you can't program?)

What were students supposed to be able to accomplish that they couldn't do before?

Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#58

Post by ghaff »

edanm wrote: post #43
ghaff wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still one of the best books out there about getting a product out the door. (Showstopper--about the development of Windows NT--is another.) Of course, I may be biased :-) I worked at Data General for about 13 years. I started a few years after the events of the book but knew many of the people portrayed in it, including Tom West.

Haven't read it (still on my shelf), but have you had a chance to read Dreaming in Code? That's the book I would describe as "the best book about getting a product out the door", or not, in this particular case.

I haven't. From the description I'm guessing I would like it. Onto the wishlist :-) Thanks.

Re: Best development book I've read, has no code in it

#59

Post by poulsbohemian »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #19

Try "Peopleware" from DeMarco and Lister: http://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects-Teams-3...

Yes! This one should be required reading for anyone managing people or projects. It's a bit like "The Design of Everyday Things" - it isn't necessarily the material in the book, but rather the patterns of questioning and thoughtfulness produced by the book that will stick with you. Peopleware is beyond being a "software" book - it's really about how to create an environment where professionals can thrive.
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