Library

Software Development Bookshelf

Scott Kuhl — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 17:40:00 GMT

For a while I have been adding books to the library feed of this site one at a time. Here is a list of books that I currently keep on my “must have” bookshelf. I will update this periodically as new volumes are added and dropped. The Library link list will also stay syncronized.

.NET 2.0

Agile Development

Databases

Mastering SQL Server 2000

Programming (General)

I am still looking for books on ADO.NET 2.0, VB 2005 general language reference, SQL Server 2005, and Team System.

These are .NET 1.1 books that have been removed but are still on standy if needed

The CSS Anthology

Scott Kuhl — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 16:03:00 GMT

Book eight is The CSS Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks by Rachel Andrew (ISBN 0-9579218-8-8). I am by no means an expert in XHTML and CSS or web design. But I have been coding HTML apps for a decade. Moving to XHTML makes some aspects of web development so much easier, but the little problems of positioning and browser compatibility can be overwhelming, especially with complex interfaces. This book works well answering questions, how the h%ll do I do that?!

The book takes a what is your problem, here is the solution approach and does a good job teaching CSS along the way. I recommend reading the book once from cover-to-cover then refering to it as a reference. Chapter 8, CSS Positioning and Layout, is a good place to find a starting template for your site.

(This post is part of an ongoing series to build your technical library.)

Test-Driven Development in Microsoft .NET

Scott Kuhl — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:46:00 GMT

Book seven, and the last of the agile books for now, is Test-Driven Development in Microsoft .NET by James W. Newkirk and Alexei A. Vorontsov (ISBN 0735619484).

While not the defacto standard on test driven development, that title goes to Test Driven Development: By Example by Kent Beck, I found this book to be a more practical learning tool for .NET developers. If you have never used test driven development, the concept is fairly simple. Write tests first, then write code. This will force you to only write the minimal amount of code you need to achieve the result, and you will build a library of unit tests that can be run over-and-over again to help protect against breaking changes.

It should also be noted that the book uses NUnit, so if you are using Team System I don't know how much use this will be. I have yet to dive into any of the Team System tools. Our budget does not afford such luxuries.

This book is available on Safari Bookshelf.

(This post is part of an ongoing series to build your technical library.)

User Stories Applied : For Agile Software Development

Scott Kuhl — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:30:00 GMT

Book six, in sticking with the agile theme, is User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development by Mike Cohn (ISBN 0321205685).

There are in general two major forms of requirements documents, Use Cases and User Stories. Use Cases have been around for a long time, and if you work in a larger company you have probably been exposed to them a lot. User Stories on the other hand are a newer product that is mostly used in agile development. The idea behind a user story is to create less detailed specifications and from the user's point of view.

This book will walk you through the theories behind User Stories and show you the proper way to create them.

This book is available on Safari Bookshelf.

(This post is part of an ongoing series to build your technical library.)

Agile Software Development with SCRUM

Scott Kuhl — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 18:34:00 GMT

Its been awhile since I added anything to my Library collection I started on this blog. Its not that I don't have more to add, I just keep forgetting. I have several more titles I want to post, so I'll try picking up the pace.

Book five is Agile Software Development with SCRUM by Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle (ISBN 0130676349).

Scrum is an agile, lightweight process that can be used to manage and control software and product development using iterative, incremental practices. Wrapping existing engineering practices, including Extreme Programming and RUP, Scrum generates the benefits of agile development with the advantages of a simple implementation. Scrum significantly increases productivity and reduces time to benefits while facilitating adaptive, empirical systems development.

I have been practicing Scrum now for about 18 months and I am now a full convert to the agile methods. Anything I did to explain the Scrum process in a single post would not do it justice. If you are looking for a great project management solution, try Scrum. And this is the book to guide you through it.

For a very good overview of Scrum try Mountain Goat Software.

This book is not available on Safari Bookshelf.

(This post is part of an ongoing series to build your technical library.)

Programming Visual Basic .NET

Scott Kuhl — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 23:58:00 GMT

Book four is more language / technology specific than my previous choices for the library. Programming Microsoft Visual Basic .NET (Core Reference) by Francesco Balena (ISBN 0735613753) is the book to have for a single language reference. While you may branch out into deeper topics later such at ADO.NET or ASP.NET, this is the place to start. This may also be the only book you purchase. From here you could stick to articles or online help, but it really depends on your learning style. Either way, this book is an indispensible reference and learning guide that builds upon the usefulness and success of its earlier edition on Visual Basic 6. (Both editions are included on the CD in electronic format).

The current release covers version 2003, but check carefully before you buy, the version that covers 2002 looks almost identical. Unfortunately, this book is not available on Safari Bookshelf.

(This post is part of an ongoing series to build your technical library.)

UML Distilled

Scott Kuhl — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 23:55:00 GMT

Book three is UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language by Martin Fowler (ISBN 0321193687). This is simply the best quick reference / basic tutorial to UML available. The book will not teach you object oriented design and analysis, but it will tell you how to create those models in UML. There are lengthier books on the topic, but this one should solve 99% of your issues. The book is currently in its 3rd edition which covers UML version 2.0. Multiple editions of this book are available on Safari Bookshelf.

(This post is part of an ongoing series to build your technical library.)

Data Management

Scott Kuhl — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 23:52:00 GMT

Book two of my library is Data Management : Databases and Organizations by Richard T. Watson (ISBN 0471347116). It is an excellent general database technology book that I first used in college. The book is divided into sections which include: The Managerial Perspective, Data Modeling and SQL, Database Architectures and Implementations, Organizational Memory Technologies, and Managing Organizational Memory. The book is currently in its 5th edition and it's still going strong. Unfortunately, this book is neither cheap ($104.95 list) nor available on Safari Bookshelf.

I can still remember my tests from college, every question began with "According to Watson...". Hmm, maybe that's why I watch "According to Jim"???

(This post is part of an ongoing series to build your technical library.)

Object Technology

Scott Kuhl — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 23:49:00 GMT

The first book I am adding to the ongoing library is Object Technology: A Manager's Guide by David A. Taylor, Ph.D (ISBN 0201309947). This is a nice short book that helps you think in objects. There is no coding and not much design theory. It is a true introductory book that helps you understand what object-oriented programming is fundamentally about. The most current edition of the book is the 2nd edition published back in 1997. This book is still in print and available on Safari Bookshelf.

A more modern alternative may be Object Thinking by David West (ISBN 0735619654) but I have not read this book. (Yet)

(This post is part of an ongoing series to build your technical library.)

Newbies, Chicken++ or the {{Egg}}

Scott Kuhl — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 23:43:00 GMT

If you're new to coding, things can seem overwhelming. You don't just need to learn how to program anymore. You need to learn databases, markup languages, object design, methodologies, etc. So, you can expect mistakes. Not just coding mistakes, but big mistakes in all those areas. A good mentor is your best bet to seeing it through the early years. It also helps to absorb as much knowledge as possible. At least then you will be able to identify if your mentor is a screwball. This is probably also a good reason to find two. Get one at work or college and join a user group.

So, to help with the knowledge absorption, I have decided to start posting those books that I find I can't live without. While I will add them in no particular order, the order to study them poses a problem. Is it better to learn a language first, then design? It has been a long time since I started out, and the rules have changed. I learned a language first, but quickly was thrown into databases. As far as a design method, I went too long before learning a method to the madness.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

Much like when our kids learn to walk, they are going to fall. Picking themselves up and trying again is part of the learning process. The problem is a new coder is more like an indestructible 1000 foot baby running at full speed. You could be cleaning up the mess for years.