Book Overflow

Carter Morgan and Nathan Toups read and discuss the first half of "Working Effectively with Legacy Code" by Michael Feathers. Join them as they reflect on dependency inversion, the importance of interfaces, and continue their never-ending debate on the pros and cons of Test-Driven Development! (The audio gets a little de-synced in the last three minutes. Carter isn't talking over Nathan on purpose!) Chapter markers: 00:00 Intro  04:51 Thoughts on the book 10:54 Defining Legacy Code 21:53 Quick Break: Pull Requests 22:38 How to change software 44:30 Quick Break: CI/CD 45:15 Testing Legacy Code 1:15:10 Quick Break: Linting 1:16:01 Closing Thoughts 

Dr. Brian Kernighan discusses writing 'The Practice of Programming', Bell Labs experience, AI, and LLMs, layers of abstraction, future excitement, programmatic thinking in humanities, and favorite books on a Book Overflow episode.

Join the lively discussion on professionalism in software engineering and what it truly means to be a 'clean coder.' The hosts share personal anecdotes about saying 'no' to maintain boundary and credibility in tech roles. They dive into the balance between individual creativity and teamwork in coding practices. Hear thoughts on Test-Driven Development, the misinterpretations of commitment vs. estimation, and strategies for clearer communication in programming environments. It's a spirited exploration of navigating the challenges of the tech industry!

In this very special episode of Book Overflow, Mark Richards joins the podcast to reflect on his book, "Fundamentals of Software Architecture"! Join us as we discuss with Mark what inspired the book, what he wish he had changed, and what he's excited about for the future!

This week Carter Morgan and Nathan Toups finished reading "Fundamentals of Software Architecture" by Mark Richards and Neal Ford. They provide an overview of their favorite architectures from the book as well as discuss the importance of soft skills in selling your technical vision!

This week Carter Morgan and Nathan Toups read the first half of "Fundamentals of Software Architecture" by Mark Richards and Neal Ford. They discuss what exactly software architecture is, how everything is a trade-off, and how we can keep our architectural skills sharp as software engineers. You don't want to miss this great discussion!

Carter Morgan and Nathan Toups discuss Stephen Wolfram's excellent primer on ChatGPT! An incredibly dense work, they briefly summarize its key takeaways, talk about whether or ChatGPT is truly intelligent, and reflect on how their views of the current AI landscape have changed after reading this book. Enjoy!

Dive into the art of refactoring as the hosts discuss its essential role in maintaining high-quality code. They explore how automated testing is a game changer and highlight the value of clear code and team dynamics. Listen for insightful metaphors that connect refactoring to everyday life, like organizing a kitchen cupboard. Plus, discover the journey of reading as a tool for personal growth, and get recommendations on must-read literature that will enhance your coding journey.

Dive into the philosophy behind software design as the hosts highlight the importance of pulling complexity downward. They shed light on the contrast between traditional clean code practices and Ousterhout's insights advocating for code clarity. The conversation tackles the intricacies of Java vs. Unix file I/O, revealing the benefits of simplification. Delving into iterative design, they emphasize self-critique, and explore the balance between strategy and tactics in programming. Lastly, the significance of meticulousness in design is compared to lessons from iconic figures like Steve Jobs.

In this inaugural episode of Book Overflow, Carter Morgan and Nathan Toups discuss "The Practice of Programming" by Brian Kernighan and Rob Pike. Written in 1999, Carter and Nathan discuss its timeless advice around style guides, interfaces, and debugging, as well as reflecting on how the software engineering industry has changed in the 25 years since it's been written.