Joel on software and on diverse and occasionally related matters that will prove of interest to software developers, designers, and managers, and to those who, whether by good fortune or ill luck, work with them in some capacity. - Includes index

Joel Spolsky began his legendary web log, www.joelonsoftware.com, in March 2000, in order to offer insights for improving the world of programming. Spolsky based these observations on years of personal experience. The result just a handful of years later? Spolsky's technical knowledge, caustic wit, and extraordinary writing skills have earned him status as a programming guru! His blog has become renowned throughout the programming worldnow linked to more than 600 websites and translated into over 30 languages. Joel on Software covers every conceivable aspect of software programming—from the best way to write code, to the best way to design an office in which to write code! All programmers, all people who want to enhance their knowledge of programmers, and all who are trying to manage programmers will surely relate to Joel's musings. Table of Contents Choosing a Language Back to Basics The Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better Code The Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Absolutely, Positively Must Know About Unicode and Character Sets (No Excuses!) Painless Functional Specifications Part 1: Why Bother? Painless Functional Specifications Part 2: What’s a Spec? Painless Functional Specifications Part 3: But . . . How? Painless Functional Specifications Part 4: Tips Painless Software Schedules Daily Builds Are Your Friend Hard-Assed Bug Fixin’ Five Worlds Paper Prototyping Don’t Let Architecture Astronauts Scare You Fire and Motion Craftsmanship Three Wrong Ideas from Computer Science Biculturalism Get Crash Reports From Users—Automatically! The Guerilla Guide to Interviewing Incentive Pay Considered Harmful Top Five (Wrong) Reasons You Don’t Have Testers Human Task Switches Considered Harmful Things You Should Never Do, Part One The Iceberg Secret, Revealed The Law of Leaky Abstractions Lord Palmerston on Programming Measurement Rick Chapman Is In Search of Stupidity What Is the Work of Dogs in This Country? Getting Things Done When You’re Only a Grunt Two Stories Big Macs vs. The Naked Chef Nothing Is As Simple As It Seems In Defense of Not-Invented-Here Syndrome Strategy Letter I: Ben & Jerry’s vs. Amazon Strategy Letter II: Chicken-and-Egg Problems Strategy Letter III: Let Me Go Back! Strategy Letter IV: Bloatware and the 80/20 Myth Strategy Letter V: The Economics of Open Source A Week of Murphy’s Law Gone Wild How Microsoft Lost the API War Microsoft Goes Bonkers Our .NET Strategy Please Sir May I Have a Linker? Annotation Joel Spolskybegan his legendary web log, www.joelonsoftware.com, in March 2000, in order to offer insights for improving the world of programming. Spolsky based these observations on years of personal experience. The result just a handful of years later? Spolsky's technical knowledge, caustic wit, and extraordinary writing skills have earned him status as a programming guru! His blog has become renowned throughout the programming worldnow linked to more than 600 websites and translated into over 30 languages. Joel on Softwarecovers every conceivable aspect of software programmingfrom the best way to write code, to the best way to design an office in which to write code! All programmers, all people who want to enhance their knowledge of programmers, and all who are trying to manage programmers will surely relate to Joel's musings. Table of ContentsChoosing a LanguageBack to BasicsThe Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better CodeThe Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Absolutely, Positively Must Know About Unicode and Character Sets (No Excuses!)Painless Functional Specifications Part 1: Why Bother?Painless Functional Specifications Part 2: Whats a Spec?Painless Functional Specifications Part 3: But ... How?Painless Functional Specifications Part 4: TipsPainless Software SchedulesDaily Builds Are Your FriendHard-Assed Bug FixinFive WorldsPaper PrototypingDont Let Architecture Astronauts Scare YouFire and MotionCraftsmanshipThree Wrong Ideas from Computer ScienceBiculturalismGet Crash Reports From UsersAutomatically!The Guerilla Guide to InterviewingIncentive Pay Considered HarmfulTop Five (Wrong) Reasons You Dont Have TestersHuman Task Switches Considered HarmfulThings You Should Never Do, Part OneThe Iceberg Secret, RevealedThe Law of Leaky AbstractionsLord Palmerston on ProgrammingMeasurementRick Chapman Is In Search of StupidityWhat Is the Work of Dogs in This Country?Getting Things Done When Youre Only a GruntTwo StoriesBig Macs vs. The Naked ChefNothing Is As Simple As It SeemsIn Defense of Not-Invented-Here SyndromeStrategy Letter I: Ben s vs. AmazonStrategy Letter II: Chicken-and-Egg ProblemsStrategy Letter III: Let Me Go Back!Strategy Letter IV: Bloatware and the 80/20 MythStrategy Letter V: The Economics of Open SourceA Week of Murphys Law Gone WildHow Microsoft Lost the API WarMicrosoft Goes BonkersOur .NET StrategyPlease Sir May I Have a Linker? "Someone once said that the task of a writer is to "make the familiar new and the new familiar." For years, Joel Spolsky has done exactly this at www.joelonsoftware.com. He educated us, he entertained us, and, yes, sometimes he infuriated us, but he has always made us think about what it is we are doing when we sit down in front of that blank computer screen, which is how Joel on Software became one of most popular development websites in the world. New, for the first time, you can own a collection of the most important essays from his site in one book, with exclusive commentary and new insights from Joel."--Jacket Someone once said that the task of a writer is to "make the familiar new and the new familiar". For years, Joel Spolsky has done exactly this at (http://www.joelonsoftware.com) www.joelonsoftware.com . Now, for the first time, you can own a collection of the most important essays from his site in one book, with exclusive commentary and new insights from joel. * Covers three years of the best essays. * Essays range from technical to humorous, but are always tangible. * Beautifully written and extremely timely. * Google lists 183,000 links for "Joel on Software". * Spolsky is one of the most popular programmers around today, with legions of followers. A selection of essays that will appeal to programmers and their managers is culled from the author's Web site which covers every imaginable aspect of software programming from writing code to designing an office in which to write code. This is a selection of essays from the author's website. Joel Spolsky started the web log in March 2000 in order to offer his insights, based on years of experience, on how to improve the world of programming