I’ve decided to shorten these posts tremendously lol. I realize: one - no one wants to read all of that, two, it takes way too long to hit a “word count,” and three, I don’t have that much to say. So with that, on to the point...
I just finished Code Simplicity by Max Kanat-Alexander - good read. It’s only 84 pages, so it’s something you can finish in a day, and it does a really good job of covering the basics of solid app design - not necessarily the mechanics (languages, tools, etc. - not even SOLID principles), but more so what to look for in your system.
I wouldn’t say it’s something for someone completely new to the field. You won’t have the experience to really understand what he’s saying. On the surface, his concepts may seem simplistic, but if you relate to the experience, it holds a totally different meaning. For example, I recently went through an example of a problem mentioned in the book. Without going into details, I intuitively knew something was wrong with the assignment, but I couldn't articulate my concerns, at that time. I had a real “I knew it!” moment when I got to that part of the book. It felt great. As a relatively new developer, knowing that it's "not me" helps.
Given the length of the book (it’s really a quick read), I even recommend it for seasoned developers. Experience doesn’t necessarily translate to great design. A really skilled developer can quickly create an aesthetically beautiful, bug-free, body of code that is not maintainable, or open to change. Even if you’ve moved on to a lead role, with less development, realizing some of the challenges your team faces at the start of a project, can help manage expectation.
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