How to Write Good Programs
A Guide for Students

Accessible guide to writing good, clear, correct code without stress, aimed at students on early programming courses.

Perdita Stevens (Author)

9781108789875, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 July 2020

214 pages, 3 b/w illus.
18.5 x 12.3 x 1.1 cm, 0.24 kg

'Stevens's book differs from other coding books in that it assumes minimal knowledge in its readers. She discusses the concept of 'program', clarifying which problem you want to solve and choosing a development environment, all before she gets to her concrete coding tips. Especially the chapter on how to fix mistakes is a boon to the novice programmer. Few things are as frustrating as accidentally throwing away working code or - worse - not being able to get your program back to working order. And for those who have finally mastered programming fairly well, but have difficulty with their schoolwork, Stevens concludes with two chapters on how to score well on homework assignments and exams.' Karl van Heijster, De Leesclub van Alles

Learning to program isn't just learning the details of a programming language: to become a good programmer you have to become expert at debugging, testing, writing clear code and generally unsticking yourself when you get stuck, while to do well in a programming course you have to learn to score highly in coursework and exams. Featuring tips, stories and explanations of key terms, this book teaches these skills explicitly. Examples in Python, Java and Haskell are included, helping you to gain transferable programming skills whichever language you are learning. Intended for students in Higher or Further Education studying early programming courses, it will help you succeed in, and get the most out of, your course, and support you in developing the software engineering habits that lead to good programs.

1. Introduction
2. What Are Good Programs?
3. How to Get Started
4. How to Understand Your Language
5. How to Use the Best Tools
6. How to Make Sure You Don't Lose Your Program
7. How to Test Your Program
8. How to Make Your Program Clear
9. How to Debug Your Program
10. How to Improve Your Program
11. How to Get Help (without Cheating)
12. How to Score Well in Coursework
13. How to Score Well in a Programming Exam
14. How to Choose a Programming Language
15. How to Go Beyond This Book
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Computer science [UY], Programming & scripting languages: general [UMX], Computer programming / software development [UM], Engineering: general [TBC], Coding theory & cryptology [GPJ]