Code Connected Volume 1

pieterhpieterh wrote on 07 Feb 2013 14:31

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The title of this book for programmers, "Code Connected", is a homage to Steve McConnell's "Code Complete", which was easily one of the best books on software development ever written. Code Connected focuses on the basic skill of producing working code, in minimal form, to answer a wide diversity of problems. All the problems are related one way or another to distributed applications, and the answers all, in one way or another, use ZeroMQ.

However, I don't think distributed software is special in the sense of mathematical libraries, or video encoding technology. Distributed software is as far as I can tell simply the future of all non-trivial software. It's just a matter of time. ZeroMQ was about bringing the cost down, which brings the future closer, and Code Connected is part of that story.

Most likely, you'll want to download the free PDF, as about 1,500 people did in the first month of release, which was back in January 2013. You can also buy a Kindle version for $6.13, or get the iPad version for $0.00.

But the real precious is the printed book at $49.95. Not surprisingly, this sells almost in the same numbers as the Kindle version. There's something delicious about a real book. Yes, trees died to make this. In my defense, and that of every European author, they were fast-growing Scandinavian trees and their premature harvesting created valuable jobs.

Of course there's no real reason to buy a book these days. There's especially no real reason to spend $49.95 (plus postage, import duties, and quite probably bribes to get this thing through customs) on Code Connected Volume 1, Professional Edition. All you get is 318 pieces of white paper with black marks on them, bound in a beautiful red-tinted cover that speaks of ultimate simplicity and elegance, just like the technology inside.

It's true that when you take Code Connected Volume 1, Professional Edition into work and lay it on your desk, your colleagues will realize that that modest person they work with every day is in fact a God of Code. Your boss won't give you a pay rise simply because you spent $49.95 on this book, but if he isn't impressed into promoting you once you and your team start to build stunningly scalable new products, find a new job!

Why "Professional Edition", you might ask? Clearly, this isn't a book for amateurs. It's not a pocket book, and doesn't have any pretty color pictures. Much of those little black marks are in a secret code called "C", which few mortals can read and fewer still can write. True, a lesser person could also buy Code Connected Volume 1, Professional Edition, but the real question is, would they?

It would be excessive to give a copy of this book to each and every colleague, but a wise man would buy two copies, one to read and keep, and one to answer that inevitable question, "Oh, wow, you have Code Connected Volume 1, Professional Edition?! Can I borrow it?" with a gracious "yes, for sure, please just sign this small receipt", instead of the alternative, and hurtful, "No, dude, keep your sticky fingers off it, that's mine!"

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