Preventative Programming Techniques: Avoid and Correct Common Mistakes

Preventative Programming Techniques provides programmers with a clear and intelligent approach to detecting, preventing, and correcting the most common mistakes. It includes practical ways to reduce problems that occur every day, and provides methods for correcting problems that already exist. Using a medical metaphor, each of the common problems is presented as an illness. Each illness is then presented in a structured approach that includes a basic description, common symptoms, prevention methods, cures, and related illnesses to look for.The majority of the principles and practices espoused are language independent and focus on instructing programmers how to detect and avoid problems. It also includes guidelines on determining when and how to refactor or rewrite code. Some of the major and minor illnesses found throughout programming, include premature optimization, CAP (cut and paste) epidemic, NIH (not invented here) syndrome, complexification, oversimplification, docuphobia, and more. If you're a programmer, you've made these mistakes or you've had to deal with code that has them in it.To learn how to prevent and fix these problems, check out all of the illnessesyou're sure to find insightful tips for your own projects. Novice programmers will benefit greatly from reading through each category of illness from start to finish, and experienced programmers will benefit from the insightful tips and anecdotes. Major Illnesses 1 Premature Optimization Description Symptoms General Symptoms Prevention The Simplest Technique: Do Not Optimize K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) High-Level Languages Encapsulation and Abstraction Strategy Pattern Editors: Tools of the Trade Cure When to Refactor Profile, Profile, Profile Importance of Testing Special Case: Libraries Related Illnesses First Aid Kit 2 CAP Epidemic Description The Bug Came Back Search and Replace What Does That Mean: CAP Symptoms in Documentation Obscure Bug Hunt Too Many Directions Information Duplication Prevention Know Your Code Know Your Libraries High-Level Languages Automation Avoiding Asset Duplication Generative Programming Cure When to Refactor Refactoring Tools Beyond Refactoring Tools Importance of Testing Redux Related Illnesses First Aid Kit 3 NIH Syndrome Control Fanatics by Nature What Are We Afraid Of? What Should We Be Afraid Of? Prevention What Are Middleware and Open Source? Technical Support Research Flavors: Types of Reusable Code Expanding the Selection with .NET Strategy Pattern Revisited Adapters, Bridges, and Façades Cure Sacred Code When to Refactor One Step at a Time Conformance Workarounds Did We Mention the Importance of Testing? Related Illnesses First Aid Kit PART II Minor Illnesses 4 Complexification Description Symptoms Poor Readability Invisible Functionality Return of the Nifty Algorithm Emergent Bugs Prevention K.I.S.S. Know the Options Start Small The Right Language Try Explaining That Refactoring for Prevention Cure When to Refactor Simplify the Algorithm Simplify the Code Related Illnesses First Aid Kit 5 Over Simplification Description Symptoms So Simple It Does Not Do Anything Shifting Complexity Do Not Touch Prevention Completeness Realistic Design Winds of Change Cure 182 More Sacred Code 182 When to Refactor 183 Up and Down 183 Libraries for Reuse 185 Related Illnesses 186 x Contents First Aid Kit 186 Summary 187 6 Docuphobia 189 Description 189 Symptoms 189 What, How, and Why? 189 Not That Way 193 Prevention 195 Too Little vs. Too Much 195 Document in the Code 195 Coding Standards 202 Avoiding Duplication 203 Automation 205 Maintenance 207 Cure 207 Analyze 207 Query 208 Refactoring 208 Related Illnesses 209 First Aid Kit 209 Summary 212 7 i 215 Description 215 Symptoms 215 Comment Required? 216 Dangers of Context 217 Prevention 218 Editors: Tools of the Trade 218 Naming Conventions 220 Contents xi Everyday Language 221 Cure 226 Read the Code 226 Comments to Code 226 Related Illnesses 230 First Aid Kit 231 Summary 231 8 Hardcode 233 Description 233 Symptoms 233 Strings and Numbers 233 More CAP 234 Localization 235 Prevention 237 Standard Data Source 237 XML 238 Asset Management 243 Cure 244 When to Refactor 244 Context Highlighting 245 Collection 245 Run Time vs. Compile Time 248 Related Illnesses 248 First Aid Kit 249 Summary 249 9 Brittle Bones 251 Description 251 Symptoms 252 Too Minimal 252 xii Contents Too Complete 256 Lack of Consistency 258 Spiraling 260 Prevention 260 Design 261 Balance 263 Cure 264 Stop 264 Learn 264 Refactor 265 Related Illnesses 265 First Aid Kit 266 Summary 266 10 Requirement Deficiency 269 Description 269 Symptoms 269 Vagueness 269 Too Many Options 270 History 271 Nagging Feeling 271 Prevention 272 Communication 272 Paper Trail 274 Checklist 275 Internal Technical Requirements 277 Flexibility 277 Cure 278 Get Feedback 278 Incorporate 279 Bargain 279 Contents xiii Refactor 279 Related Illnesses 280 First Aid Kit 280 Summary 281 11 Myopia 283 Description 283 Symptoms 283 Shortcuts 283 Prevention 284 Think Ahead 284 Statistics 284 Education 285 Cure 286 Refactor 287 Reboot 287 Avoid Crunching 288 Related Illnesses 288 First Aid Kit 289 Summary 290 12 Conclusion 291 Common Techniques 291 Toward the Programmer?s DSM-IV 299 Community 300 APPENDIX A Teamwork 303 Made for People 303 Made by People 304 Point of View 306 xiv Contents APPENDIX B References 309 APPENDIX C About the CD-ROM 311 Source 311 Tools 311 System Requirements 312 Contents xv1584502576 Details   Quantity 500 item(s) available Weight 2.00 lbs Price: $44.95 Options   Quantity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50  Add to cart

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