Pete Goodliffe - Becoming a Better Programmer: A Handbook for People Who Care About Code

Becoming a Better Programmer oozes experience and communicates the wisdom drawn from a career in the software business. Snappy, single-topic chapters make the book really readable with common themes being tackled from every angle. If you are a software engineer looking to go from good to great, this book is for you. I will be using it with the junior developers Im responsible for mentoring.

Andrew Burrowslead developer

Goodliffe takes the very broad subject of computer programming and manages to break it down into a clear, compelling, and engaging narrative. He has a particular flair for saying things that seem obvious, but I hadnt realised before he said them. Any programmer who aspires to be a great programmer should read this book.

Greg Lawcofounder and CEO of Undo Software

Pete Goodliffe successfully blends the theoretical with the practical. Where things must be done in a particular way, he pulls no punches. Where grey areas exist, he clearly explains different points of view. If you consider and apply what he says youll benefit and be better; youll become a better programmer. Overall this book is full of distilled real-world experience, mixed with humor, to provide gentle wisdom.

Dr. Andrew BennettBEng/PhD/MIET/MIEEE

This book will fuel your passion for the art and science of programming. Pete understands that great software comes from good people doing their best work. He illustrates how to do this through good coding practices, a good attitude, and good relationships, with lots of examples. Bonus: its really fun to read!

Lisa Crispincoauthor of Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams

Petes got a wealth of experience being a programmer and mentor. In this book, hes applied the same attention to detail categorising and describing those experiences as he does to the task of actually being a programmer. Knowing about programming is only one part of being a programmer, and whether youre new to the Code Factory, an old hand, or starting to mentor someone, this is a treasure trove of advice about how to go about itfrom someone who really knows. Its a manual about many of the hurdles youll encounter, and how to negotiate them safely and effectively.

Steve Loveeditor of C Vu magazine

All too often, programmers are divided into average programmers and rockstar or ninja developers. Where theres a rockstar, theres a trashed codebase with broken classes and spaced-out control flow. Where theres a ninja, theres mysterious bugs and build problems that appear in the middle of the night. Where theres an average, theres a distribution. In the longterm, what matters is less where on the distribution someone is than where they are headed. If you want to divide programmers into two groups, there are programmers who get better and programmers who dont. You care about the first group. This book is for them.

Kevlin Henneyconsultant, speaker, and author of 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know

This book is quite dull, and Im not convinced by the fish on the cover.

Alice Goodliffeage 12

For my wife, Bryony, who I adore.

And our three wonderful girls.

Psalm 150.

You care about code. Youre passionate about programming. Youre the kind ofdeveloper who likes to craft truly great software. And youve picked up this bookbecause you want to do it even better . Good call.

This book will help you.

The aim is to do exactly what it says on the cover: help you become a betterprogrammer. But what does that mean exactly?

Pretty early in any programmers career comes the realisation that theres moreto being a great coder than a simple understanding of syntax and a mastery ofbasic design. The awesome programmers, those productive people who craft beautifulcode and work effectively with other people, know far more. There are methodsof working, attitudes, approaches, idioms, and techniques you learn over timethat increase your effectiveness. There are useful social skills, and a wholepile of tribal knowledge to pick up.

And, of course, you need to learn syntax and design.

That is exactly what this book is about. Its a catalogue of useful techniquesand approaches to the art and craft of programming that will help you becomebetter.

I wont pretend that this is an exhaustive treatise. The field is vast.Theres always more to learn, with new ground being claimed every day. Thesechapters are simply the fruit of more than 15 years of my work as aprofessional programmer. Ive seen enough code, and made enough mistakes. Iwont claim Im an expert; Im just well seasoned. If you can learn from themistakes Ive made and garner inspiration from what Ive experienced, thenyoull gain a leg up in your own development career.