software tools

Software Tools
$32.95
First, I don't have to reintroduce how awesome the author (especially bwk) is. I will just jump to the main topic.

This book, by any means, is better than Code Complete(CC). Don't get me wrong, I am not saying CC is a bad book. To the contrary, CC is a very good book. But this book is still better. Why, here are three reasons.

1. CC is motivated by this book, Software Tools(ST). If you read carefully, you will find that in the preface of CC, it says that "No comparable book is available... some had written 15 years or more earlier ... in Ratfor". Tell you want, it refers to this book(ST). ST deserves a better position than "a 15 years old book in Ratfor", because it handles a even wider topic than CC: how to build practical software. Thus, if you like CC, I will recommend you to this book. If you think CC is verbose, bingo, you have a better choice: this book.

2. ST talks every almost every aspect of programming and tells you how to build into the programming language instead of in the programming language. Think about this, in the FORTRAN years, how to write software not only conquer the complexity of the outside world, but the complicity of the programming language itself. There are tons of books teaches you do Design Pattern, structured programming etc. However, there is no book about how you use your programming language to achieve that. Think about this, JUnit is handy in Java; OO language is handy because they don't need damn pointers around, dynamic type language is handy because you don't need verbose SomeType a = New SomeType() statement. Hardly, you can not find all favorite features in YOUR language. YOUR language usually sucks. (So as mine). There is no silver bullet language. Then, ST teaches you how to use your language to build clean and useful blocks and then get things done. You will finally realize languages will never be your obstacle and you can "import antigravity" to fly (a inner joke, see http://xkcd.com/353/ ). There are two kinds of book, one is by theoretical authors and the other is by the real software engineers. The first kind of book will teach you all kinds of checklist/dogma but you never know how they get used in reality. The second kind of book is like a manual or a tutorial, you can follow it and know what is "structured programming" by practicing it, instead of by "memorizing" it. My kongfu master once told me that you have to learn by acting, not learn by reciting a book.

3. The philosophy in ST is even more valid today, which makes this book even more useful. Think about this, 20 years ago, in Bell Lab, bwk was building C/Unix. His experience was that human time is far more expensive than machine time (He is a scientist) and software should be flexible and code should be readable because you will definitely read it. The experience from Bell Lab is exactly the situation today. (you know, they lead the industry by 20 years, for sure). Human time are far more expensive than machine time and software are subject to change far more often than before. How to handle this? ST provides the answer. You are right, there is no silver bullet, but there is a bullet in ST.

I have been reading this book for several times and still I can get a lot of new stuff from this book every time I read it. Do not miss this classic if you really wants to craft distinguished software, it is the missing manual for you to conquer your stupid programming language. As you know, programming language is and will always be stupid, that's why you need to transform it to be YOUR clear language. Make the transformation today, this is the change you need!

M-Audio Pro Tools M-Powered 8
$299.95
I had absolutely no problem loading and running pro-tools on my Windows Vista 64-bit system. I went to the M-Audio site, downloaded the 64-bit sp1 and sp2 drivers. Installed both on my computer and then installed pro-tools. It has performed flawlessly. I have had some problems with programming my Axiom 25 midi controller but feel confidant it will work out. My Yamaha Motif 8 works well with it, but I only have used it for audio recording. The midi hook up there will needs a little fine tune as well. Still the range and depth of this program is magnifacent. I will say that if you lack real knowledge on how DAW programs operate with your computer you may have some problems getting up and running.

Johnson Level & Tool ADS48 Adjust-A-Square 48-Inch Aluminum Drywall Square
$40.89

This product is very nice. The aluminum is thick and the 90 degree setting lock positively and accurate.

HOWEVER

I would NOT order this from amazon again. The geniuses at Amazon shipped this LONG THIN FLAT piece of metal in it's store display box. Yup, they just slapped a mailing label on the single wall box.

That offered it NO protection and it arrived bent. If you give a shipping company a 4 foot piece of sheet metal with no decent packaging you can hardly blame them if it arrives bent.

I was able to flatten my back out, but I have the advantage of working at company with a shop and tools. It wasn't easy to get it very flat again.

Buy this tool, but not from Amazon.

Coder Tools & Reviews
$0.99
In depth reviews of software development tools, services and practices - tools are da bomb!Kindle blogs are fully downloaded onto your Kindle so you can read them even when you're not wirelessly connected. And unlike RSS readers which often only provide headlines, blogs on Kindle give you full text content and images, and are updated wirelessly throughout the day.