How to Write Good Programs

Reviews / Votes

'Perdita Stevens' book How to Write Good Programs provides a wealth of excellent advice tailored to beginning students of programming. It is language-agnostic, well structured, and delivered in an accessible manner. It might as well have the words 'Don't Panic' in large, friendly letters on the cover.' Jeremy Gibbons, University of Oxford 'This is the book I wish had existed during my time at university and at the beginning of my career! It explains fundamental concepts independently of a concrete programming language and contains many practical observations and tips to overcome situations where novice programmers tend to get stuck.' Jennifer Tenzer, Senior Developer 'This is a unique book that feels like a conversation over a coffee with an experienced expert in computer programing. It is full of practical tips, insights, and folklore that will be of great benefit to anyone who wants to learn how to program well.' Professor Tom Ward, University of Leeds 'Stevens's book differs from other coding books in that it assumes minimal knowledge in its readers. She discusses the concept of 'program', clarifying which problem you want to solve and choosing a development environment, all before she gets to her concrete coding tips. Especially the chapter on how to fix mistakes is a boon to the novice programmer. Few things are as frustrating as accidentally throwing away working code or - worse - not being able to get your program back to working order. And for those who have finally mastered programming fairly well, but have difficulty with their schoolwork, Stevens concludes with two chapters on how to score well on homework assignments and exams.' Karl van Heijster, De Leesclub van Alles