book

The Missing README

by Dmitriy Ryaboy

August 2021

Beginner

192 pages

5h 46m

English

No Starch Press

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Your DestinationA Map for Your JourneyPeak NewbRamp-Up RiverCape ContributorOperations OceanCompetence CoveOnward!
Learning to LearnFront-Load Your LearningLearn by DoingExperiment with CodeReadWatch PresentationsAttend Meetups and Conferences (Sparingly)Shadow and Pair with Experienced EngineersExperiment with Side ProjectsAsking QuestionsDo Your ResearchTimeboxShow Your WorkDon’t InterruptPrefer Multicast, Asynchronous CommunicationBatch Your Synchronous RequestsOvercoming Growth ObstaclesImpostor SyndromeThe Dunning–Kruger EffectDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
Software EntropyTechnical DebtAddressing Technical DebtChanging CodeUse the Legacy Code Change AlgorithmLeave Code Cleaner Than You Found ItMake Incremental ChangesBe Pragmatic About RefactoringUse an IDEUse Version Control System Best PracticesAvoiding PitfallsUse Boring TechnologyDon’t Go RogueDon’t Fork Without Committing UpstreamResist the Temptation to RewriteDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
Defensive ProgrammingAvoid Null ValuesMake Variables ImmutableUse Type Hinting and Static Type CheckingValidate InputsUse ExceptionsBe Precise with ExceptionsThrow Exceptions Early, Catch Exceptions LateRetry IntelligentlyWrite Idempotent SystemsClean Up ResourcesLoggingUse Log LevelsKeep Logs AtomicKeep Logs FastDon’t Log Sensitive DataMetricsUse Standard Metrics LibrariesMeasure EverythingTracesConfigurationDon’t Get Creative with ConfigurationLog and Validate All ConfigurationProvide DefaultsGroup Related ConfigurationTreat Configuration as CodeKeep Configuration Files CleanDon’t Edit Deployed ConfigurationToolsDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up

Dependency Management BasicsSemantic VersioningTransitive DependenciesDependency HellAvoiding Dependency HellIsolate DependenciesDeliberately Add DependenciesPin VersionsScope Dependencies NarrowlyProtect Yourself from Circular DependenciesDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
The Many Uses of TestsTypes of TestsTest ToolsMocking LibrariesTest FrameworksCode Quality ToolsWriting Your Own TestsWrite Clean TestsDon’t Overdo TestingDeterminism in TestsSeed Random Number GeneratorsDon’t Call Remote Systems in Unit TestsInject ClocksAvoid Sleeps and TimeoutsClose Network Sockets and File HandlesBind to Port ZeroGenerate Unique File and Database PathsIsolate and Clean Up Leftover Test StateDon’t Depend on Test OrderDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
Why Review Code?Getting Your Code ReviewedPrepare Your ReviewDe-risk with Draft ReviewsDon’t Submit Reviews to Trigger TestsWalk Through Large Code ChangesDon’t Get AttachedPractice Empathy, but Don’t Tolerate RudenessBe ProactiveReviewing CodeTriage Review RequestsBlock Off Time for ReviewsUnderstand the ChangeGive Comprehensive FeedbackAcknowledge the Good StuffDistinguish Between Issues, Suggestions, and NitpicksDon’t Rubber-Stamp ReviewsDon’t Limit Yourself to Web-Based Review ToolsDon’t Forget to Review TestsDrive to a ConclusionDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
Software Delivery PhasesBranching StrategiesBuild PhaseVersion PackagesPackage Different Resources SeparatelyRelease PhaseDon’t Throw Releases Over the FencePublish Packages to a Release RepositoryKeep Releases ImmutableRelease FrequentlyBe Transparent About Release SchedulesPublish Changelogs and Release NotesDeployment PhaseAutomate DeploymentsMake Deployments AtomicDeploy Applications IndependentlyRollout PhaseMonitor RolloutsRamp Up with Feature FlagsProtect Code with Circuit BreakersRamp Service Versions in ParallelLaunch in Dark ModeDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
How On-Call WorksImportant On-Call SkillsMake Yourself AvailablePay AttentionPrioritize WorkCommunicate ClearlyTrack Your WorkHandling IncidentsTriageCoordinationMitigationResolutionFollow-UpProviding SupportDon’t Be a HeroDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
The Technical Design Process ConeThinking About DesignDefine the ProblemDo Your ResearchConduct ExperimentsGive It TimeWriting Design DocumentsDocument Consequential ChangesKnow Why You’re WritingLearn to WriteKeep Design Documents Up-to-DateUsing a Design Document TemplateCurrent State and ContextMotivation for ChangeRequirementsPotential SolutionsProposed SolutionDesign and ArchitectureTest PlanRollout PlanUnresolved QuestionsAppendixCollaborating on DesignUnderstand Your Team’s Design Review ProcessDon’t Surprise PeopleBrainstorm with Design DiscussionsContribute to DesignDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
Understanding ComplexityDesign for EvolvabilityYou Ain’t Gonna Need ItPrinciple of Least AstonishmentEncapsulate Domain KnowledgeEvolvable APIsKeep APIs SmallExpose Well-Defined Service APIsKeep API Changes CompatibleVersion APIsEvolvable DataIsolate DatabasesUse SchemasAutomate Schema MigrationsMaintain Schema CompatibilityDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
The Agile ManifestoAgile Planning FrameworksScrumUser StoriesTasksStory PointsBacklog TriageSprint PlanningStand-upsReviewsRetrospectivesRoadmapsDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
What Managers DoCommunication, Goals, and Growth Processes1:1sPPPsOKRsPerformance ReviewsManaging UpGet FeedbackGive FeedbackDiscuss Your GoalsTake Action When Things Aren’t WorkingDo’s and Don’tsLevel Up
To Senior and BeyondCareer AdviceBe T-ShapedParticipate in Engineering ProgramsSteer Your PromotionChange Jobs CarefullyPace YourselfClosing Thoughts

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About the Authors

Chris Riccomini is a software engineer with more than a decade of experience at major tech companies, including PayPal, LinkedIn, and WePay, a JP Morgan Chase Company. He has held titles as data scientist, staff software engineer, and distinguished software engineer. Riccomini is also an open source contributor and startup investor and advisor.

Dmitriy Ryaboy has been a software engineer and manager since the early 2000s. He’s worked at enterprise software startups (Cloudera), consumer internet companies (Ask.com, Twitter), and research institutions (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). He helped create and grow multiple open source projects, including Apache Parquet. Dmitriy is currently the vice president of software engineering ...