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Understanding Software

Understanding Software

By : Max Kanat-Alexander
3.8 (11)
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Understanding Software

Understanding Software

3.8 (11)
By: Max Kanat-Alexander

Overview of this book

In Understanding Software, Max Kanat-Alexander, Technical Lead for Code Health at Google, shows you how to bring simplicity back to computer programming. Max explains to you why programmers suck, and how to suck less as a programmer. There’s just too much complex stuff in the world. Complex stuff can’t be used, and it breaks too easily. Complexity is stupid. Simplicity is smart. Understanding Software covers many areas of programming, from how to write simple code to profound insights into programming, and then how to suck less at what you do! You'll discover the problems with software complexity, the root of its causes, and how to use simplicity to create great software. You'll examine debugging like you've never done before, and how to get a handle on being happy while working in teams. Max brings a selection of carefully crafted essays, thoughts, and advice about working and succeeding in the software industry, from his legendary blog Code Simplicity. Max has crafted forty-three essays which have the power to help you avoid complexity and embrace simplicity, so you can be a happier and more successful developer. Max's technical knowledge, insight, and kindness, has earned him code guru status, and his ideas will inspire you and help refresh your approach to the challenges of being a developer.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
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Free Chapter
1
Table of Contents
2
Understanding Software
3
Credits
4
About the Author
6
Customer Feedback
7
Foreword
15
Index

Chapter 43. Excellent Software

Note: This is one of the first articles that I ever wrote. Some of the other data in this book and in my book and my blog, Code Simplicity, are in fact based on some of the principles in this chapter. However, it has never been published anywhere before now. Enjoy.

A truly excellent program carries out the user's intention exactly as they intended it.

If you want to break it down a bit more, this means that an excellent program:

  1. Does exactly what the user told it to do.
  2. Behaves exactly like the user expects it to behave.
  3. Does not block the user from communicating their intention.

To be truly excellent, software must do all of those things. Think of any piece of software that average users truly enjoy using, and you'll find it satisfies those three criteria.

There is an odd feeling of satisfaction that comes from the computer carrying out your intentions perfectly. And this is one of the joys of programming – when the computer does exactly...

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