Category: Code Complete

Architecture, according to the book (which draws from other sources as well), is: Software architecture is the high-level part of software design, the frame that holds the more detailed parts of the design. S. McConnell, Code Complete, second edition. Redmond (Washington): Microsoft Press, 2004. Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk about how we…

Defining the Problem Section 2 of Chapter 3 is very simple: you should know what problem you’re trying to solve before you try to solve it. It normally shouldn’t be stated in technical terms. Instead, it should be the simplest issue that you’re trying to solve. For example, “We need developers to be able to…

Different types of software require different types of planning. If you’re working on your own blog, for instance, the stakes are a lot lower than if you’re working on, say, an automated flight control system. If you’re working on one of those high-stakes projects, your planning should be much more thorough & much less iterative.…

This is the second post in my series on Code Complete, covering my notes and commentary from Chapter 3, Section 2. The title of this section is Measure Twice, Cut Once: Upstream Prerequisites. Essentially, this section is talking about the importance of developing prerequisites before beginning work on a project. It reminds me of a…