How to Write Good Programs

Perdita Stevens is a professor at the University of Edinburgh and has taught programming and software engineering in many languages to students ranging from first-year undergraduates to established professional software developers. She previously co-authored Using UML: Software Engineering with Objects and Components (1998) and received a 10-year Most Influential Paper award and a Best Paper award at the MODELS conference in 2017 for her work on bidirectional transformations.

• 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.

'Perdita Stevens' book How to Write Good Programs provides a wealth of excellent advice tailored to beginning students of programming. It is language-agnostic, well structured, and delivered in an accessible manner. It might as well have the words 'Don't Panic' in large, friendly letters on the cover.' Jeremy Gibbons, University of Oxford