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Definitely, definitely, Kernighan and Plauger's 1976 book _Software Tools_. The code is in RATFOR (a structured dialect of FORTRAN) but all the ideas are langua

Definitely, definitely, Kernighan and Plauger's 1976 book _Software Tools_. The code is in RATFOR (a structured dialect of FORTRAN) but all the ideas are language-independent. It remains, four decades on, the best book I have ever read on how to solve the real problems of real program development. Very practical, and covers a vast amount of ground. (As it happens, I am re-reading it right now.)

bewuethr 9y ago
There is also an edition using Pascal, "Software Tools in Pascal" from 1981, which might be a little more accessible than the RATFOR edition. I fully agree with the recommendation as such, though.
- rpeden 9y ago
  The code from "Software Tools in Pascal" mostly just works in FreePascal, too. So it's pretty easy to jump in and work through the examples in the book.
pjmorris 9y ago
+1. I have a corner of a bookshelf reserved for everything Kernighan, e.g. both Software Tools editions, both C Language editions, The Unix Programming Environment, The Practice of Programming, The AWK Language, even a copy of The Elements of Programming Style. I, and my employers and clients, may owe more to Mr. Kernighan for his teaching and programming style, than anyone else.