Coder to Developer (PDF)

"Two thumbs up"

--Gregory V. Wilson, Dr. Dobbs Journal (October 2004)

No one can disparage the ability to write good code. At its
highest levels, it is an art.

But no one can confuse writing good code with developing good
software. The difference--in terms of challenges, skills, and
compensation--is immense.

Coder to Developer helps you excel at the many
non-coding tasks entailed, from start to finish, in just about any
successful development project. What's more, it equips you with the
mindset and self-assurance required to pull it all together, so
that you see every piece of your work as part of a coherent
process. Inside, you'll find plenty of technical guidance on such
topics as:

* Choosing and using a source code control system

* Code generation tools--when and why

* Preventing bugs with unit testing

* Tracking, fixing, and learning from bugs

* Application activity logging

* Streamlining and systematizing the build process

* Traditional installations and alternative approaches

To pull all of this together, the author has provided the source
code for Download Tracker, a tool for organizing your collection of
downloaded code, that's used for examples throughout this book. The
code is provided in various states of completion, reflecting every
stage of development, so that you can dig deep into the actual
process of building software. But you'll also develop "softer"
skills, in areas such as team management, open source
collaboration, user and developer documentation, and intellectual
property protection. If you want to become someone who can deliver
not just good code but also a good product, this book is the place
to start. If you must build successful software projects, it's
essential reading.