On CS books and topics

user55340

Apr 15, 2014 22:53

(and context for our newest visitor)

user55340

0

Q: Question about levelling skills as a software developer

I want to ask a question about the resources available for a self-taught developer to level skills and conceptual understanding with a professional CS undergraduate curriculum. Is this a suitable question for this site?

Alain Jacomet Forte

I've been a web developer for ~15 years. Currently working with Node.js

and Angular

But sometimes I bump into concepts that need an understanding of computer science, like the history and reason for Dependency Injection, Memory handling, the concept of Scope, among many other things

Or software testing as a generalized topic

Jimmy Hoffa

@AlainJacometForte not to mention the Chompsky category's homomorphisms

Alain Jacomet Forte

Not to mention.

Jimmy Hoffa

I mean it.

Alain Jacomet Forte

Apr 15, 2014 22:56

So I don't know where to look in order to level up

Jimmy Hoffa

Don't mention them.

I'm watching you.

user55340

@AlainJacometForte we're safe as he doesn't mention the 'm' word... (and I'm joking)

Alain Jacomet Forte

I've been thinking in taking the Udacity courses, which seem very CS-oriented.

user55340

You've got several bits there... some of which are computer science, others are software engineering.

Jimmy Hoffa

@AlainJacometForte oh, oh, no I know just what you should read if you want some more CS fundamentals

learnyouahaskell.com/introduction

user55340

Apr 15, 2014 22:58

(this looks intreaguging - at least a publishing house I've seen before: link.springer.com/… )

Jimmy Hoffa

Just read that, you'll be set.

If that doesn't seem to cover enough for you, then I'd suggest reading Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming, just whiz through that and you'll be good.

Alain Jacomet Forte

Nice. Thanks

Jimmy Hoffa

I'm helping.

user55340

Don't thank him until after you understand the 'm' word.

user20683

@AlainJacometForte You might consider the "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs"

user20683

Apr 15, 2014 23:00

there's a JS version

user20683

or "Think like a Computer Scientist"

ratchet freak

@MichaelT I thought is was the T word?

Jimmy Hoffa

@WorldEngineer I prefer the much denser CS book "Think like a Nascar Driver"

Alain Jacomet Forte

I wasn't sure if "Computer Science" was the topic I should be focusing on. You guys seem to confirm it.

user55340

Software testing is something that is more Software Engineering: sebokwiki.org/wiki/…

Alain Jacomet Forte

Apr 15, 2014 23:01

I was in doubt of whether I should look into Software Engineering as a topic

Jimmy Hoffa

@AlainJacometForte I'm making jest; it's 5pm here. Do ignore me unless I'm giving actual advice. I hope you can tell the difference, but even I can't always...

user55340

The software engineering isn't things you'll find in a college class easily.

Jimmy Hoffa

@AlainJacometForte all seriousness, what makes you think you need to study CS more closely? What do you look to gain?

user20683

@MichaelT You'll find grad level classes in it

Zeroth

Or the O word(opt-i-mize)

user55340

Apr 15, 2014 23:03

And don't let the "engineering" part scare you... they just put there to make the title longer.

Alain Jacomet Forte

@JimmyHoffa I'm hoping it will make me a better programmer. Give me knowledge to construct better algorithms.

user55340

Ahh... the fundamentals... data structures and algorithms then.

Jimmy Hoffa

@AlainJacometForte CS stuff is good for giving you a better concept of algorithms, that's true. But if you've been a programmer for 15 years there's likely something more specific you're feeling you need to bolster

Alain Jacomet Forte

I'm hoping to get a deeper understanding of things, and also avoid bumping into unknown Words so often

ratchet freak

don't just memorize them to reproduce them

user20683

Apr 15, 2014 23:04

@AlainJacometForte get something like Cormen's algorithms book and code your through it

user55340

amazon.com/Introduction-Algorithms-Thomas-H-Cormen/dp/…

Jimmy Hoffa

@AlainJacometForte don't worry about terminology of deeper understanding of "things" broadly - if you want to grow your knowledge it's best to have a specific focus, at least to start

user20683

THat's the one

ratchet freak

there will always be unknown words thought up by business people to generate buzz

Zeroth

Well, programming is easy(largely). Its the construction of maintainable, readable, high-quality software that fits users needs that's hard

user20683

Apr 15, 2014 23:05

@ratchetfreak Or just made up to justify their paycheck

Zeroth

and even harder to do it on schedule, and under-budget.

Jimmy Hoffa

The Algorithm Design Manual is a free online PDF that is a very high quality book as well, much cheaper than the Cormen book which is seen as the standardbearer

user55340

programming.oreilly.com/2014/02/…

ratchet freak

I mean a good/decent programmer thinks it up and a ignorant marketer dude throws it around like singles in a stripclub...

Alain Jacomet Forte

Take this phrase for example: "Testability story: unit-testing, end-to-end testing, mocks, test harnesses."

Jimmy Hoffa

Apr 15, 2014 23:07

@AlainJacometForte have a read here granted it's not about the exact topic you refer to, but at the end he goes over a broad section of CS concepts and what to read and how to approach studying them which can be helpful if you're not sure where to start with learning all the topics

Alain Jacomet Forte

I'm familiar with TDD, but those are concepts that relate to testing as a general topic

Jimmy Hoffa

@AlainJacometForte That is decidedly not related to CS

user55340

unit testing and end to end testing are two types of tests... mocks and test harnesses are tools for doing the tests.

Jimmy Hoffa

CS studies will not prepare you for thinking about testability, or even touch on the topic really.

ratchet freak

honestly I just look for the wikipedia article when I see something I don't understand

Jimmy Hoffa

Apr 15, 2014 23:08

@ratchetfreak we reference learners are lucky. Most are unable to pick up concepts correctly from references alone rather requiring more step-by-step tutorial style format to their information for ingestion.

Alain Jacomet Forte

Perhaps I should look into the particular areas rather than seek a generalized one? (i.e. Software Testing)

user55340

unit test is on the order of "make sure that the add(a,b) function returns a+b" while an end to end test is "we are going to test logging in through submitting an order and making sure the back end picks it up right and sends it to the warehouse..."

ratchet freak

hell I got a shortcut in my browser, I just need to type wpen <word> and 9 times out of 10 I'm in the correct place

Jimmy Hoffa

9

A: C# - Unit test, Mock?

You need to learn to write unit tests on your own. Start off on the right foot with good comprehension of terminology that many people make mistakes regarding: Unit test: Testing a single unit of code, very small atomic test. Integration test: Testing multiple units of code integrated together,...

user55340

(an end to end test I did with a credit card application at one point was "enter this data in for the credit card application, verify that it went through capital one's processing, was approved, and then use the credit card number they generated at a register on the test network")

Alain Jacomet Forte

Apr 15, 2014 23:10

Well, I am aware that the answers are online, which is the great thing about this. I was just hoping I could once and for all get all the juicy concepts instead of always having to stop and Google things

user20683

should have closed as too broad

user55340

If you want to get down to the very basics, shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920025481.do is an interesting book.

Alain Jacomet Forte

@MichaelT that's indeed the bone of it

Alright, I'll look into all the links you guys provided

Thanks !

user55340

One thing you might want to consider... (no, I am not paid by oriely or get any kickbacks) is the Safari Books Online. safaribooksonline.com

user55340

You get access to a LOT of books and videos... including many of the ones that I linked earlier.

Alain Jacomet Forte

Apr 15, 2014 23:14

Oh, I didn't know it. Looks good. Thank you

user55340

One of the things I am frustrated with where I live is the lack of good tech books in the book store... and then when you do get the good tech books on the framework you're using... its out of date in 6 months.

user55340

Thus, safari books gives you access to all of them, and keeps you up to date with the latest editions.

user55340

Not all the publishers, but there's a good number of them in there.

ratchet freak

and to get a good book written and published takes about that long...

user55340

Oh! On unit testing..

user55340

Apr 15, 2014 23:16

[amazon.com/Quality-Code-Software-Principles-Practices/dp/…

Alain Jacomet Forte

Oh, great!

Thanks!

ratchet freak

oneboxed amazon needs to be smaller...

user55340

(easy enough to edit after the fact)

user55340

But you'll also find things like Clean Code on Safari Books...

user55340

You can get some very up to date books - especially from Oriely itself: my.safaribooksonline.com/book/programming/javascript/…

user55340

Apr 15, 2014 23:19

(that one was just published the other day - already on there)

Alain Jacomet Forte

@MichaelT There's something I like about reading a paper book, though

I can't get used to reading a 100+ page document in the computer

ratchet freak

go to a print shop and kill some trees then :)

user55340

@AlainJacometForte absoulately... but I glare at the 3x copies of ios 2 - ios 4 documentation I have sitting around, now completely useless.

Alain Jacomet Forte

Yeah, I do feel bad about trees

But, I don't have that many books

user55340

Note that when I do use Safari Books, its typically with the ipad app next to the computer... its bookish.

Alain Jacomet Forte

Apr 15, 2014 23:21

Perhaps Kindle is the answer

ratchet freak

if you do print one out try to get a timeless one that doesn't focus on the buzzword du jour

Alain Jacomet Forte

There's no way to save this conversation right ?

user20683

@AlainJacometForte it's autosaved

ratchet freak

that's how most of these things end up as

user20683

there's a room transcript

ratchet freak

Apr 15, 2014 23:24

oh that way...

user55340

There's also the bookmark.

The Whiteboard

Participants