Widely considered one of the best practical guides to programming, Steve McConnell's original CODE COMPLETE has been helping developers write better software for more than a decade. Now this classic book has been fully updated and revised with leading-edge practices - and hundreds of new code samples - illustrating the art and science of software construction. Capturing the body of knowledge available from research, academia, and everyday commercial practice, McConnell synthesizes the most effective techniques and must-know principles into clear, pragmatic guidance. No matter what your experience level, development environment, or project size, this book will inform and stimulate your thinking - and help you build the highest quality code.

Discover the timeless techniques and strategies that help you:

• Design for minimum complexity and maximum creativity
• Reap the benefits of collaborative development
• Apply defensive programming techniques to reduce and flush out errors
• Exploit opportunities to refactor - or evolve - code, and do it safely
• Use construction practices that are right-weight for your project
• Debug problems quickly and effectively
• Resolve critical construction issues early and correctly
• Build quality into the beginning, middle, and end of your project

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Part I: Laying the Foundation
  • Chapter 1: Welcome to Software Construction
  • Chapter 2: Metaphors for a Richer Understanding of Software Development
  • Chapter 3: Measure Twice, Cut Once: Upstream Prerequisites
  • Chapter 4: Key Construction Decisions
• Part II: Creating High-Quality Code
  • Chapter 5: Design in Construction
  • Chapter 6: Working Classes
  • Chapter 7: High-Quality Routines
  • Chapter 8: Defensive Programming
  • Chapter 9: The Pseudocode Programming Process
• Part III: Variables
  • Chapter 10: General Issues in Using Variables
  • Chapter 11: The Power of Variable Names
  • Chapter 12: Fundamental Data Types
  • Chapter 13: Unusual Data Types
• Part IV: Statements
  • Chapter 14: Organizing Straight-Line Code
  • Chapter 15: Using Conditionals
  • Chapter 16: Controlling Loops
  • Chapter 17: Unusual Control Structures
  • Chapter 18: Table-Driven Methods
  • Chapter 19: General Control Issues
• Part V: Code Improvements
  • Chapter 20: The Software-Quality Landscape
  • Chapter 21: Collaborative Construction
  • Chapter 22: Developer Testing
  • Chapter 23: Debugging
  • Chapter 24: Refactoring
  • Chapter 25: Code-Tuning Strategies
  • Chapter 26: Code-Tuning Techniques
• Part VI: System Considerations
  • Chapter 27: How Program Size Affects Construction
  • Chapter 28: Managing Construction
  • Chapter 29: Integration
  • Chapter 30: Programming Tools
• Part VII: Software Craftsmanship
  • Chapter 31: Layout and Style
  • Chapter 32: Self-Documenting Code
  • Chapter 33: Personal Character
  • Chapter 34: Themes in Software Craftsmanship
  • Chapter 35: Where to Find More Information
• Bibliography