Programming Pearls

What Hacker News says

1. PaulDavisThe1stOct 2026
   For older readers, see also "Programming Pearls" by Jon Bentley (originally published the ACM journal, later reprinted as books).
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2. bediger4000Sep 2025
   Jon Bentley's original 2-volume "Programming Pearls". I haven't looked at the 2nd, single volume, edition.

   Pike and Kernighan's "The Unix Programming Environment", and their later book "The Practice of Programming"

   Usenix put out a refereed journal "Computing Systems" that was really good: https://www.usenix.org/publications/compsystems/computing-sy...

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3. vismit2000Apr 2025
   Little's law comes up in the beautiful book 'Programming Pearls' by Jon Bentley in 'Back of the Envelope' calculations:

   - `Little’s Law`: The average number of objects in a queue is the product of the entry rate and the average holding time - Response-time formula for a multi-user system: - Assume n users of average think time z are connected to an arbitrary system with response time r. - Each user cycles between thinking and waiting-for-response, so the total number of jobs in the meta-system (consisting of users and the computer system) is fixed at n. - If you cut the path from the system's output to the users, you see a meta-system with average load n, average response time z + r, and throughput x (measured in jobs per time unit). - Little’s Law says n = x × (z + r), and solving for r gives r = n/x – z.

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4. marcusbuffettFeb 2025
   I strongly recommend "A Philosophy of Software Design". It basically boils down to measuring the quality of an abstraction by the ratio of the complexity it contains vs the complexity of the interface. Or at least, that's the rule of thumb I came away with, and it's incredible how far that heuristic takes you. I'm constantly thinking about my software design in these terms now, and it's hugely helpful.

   I didn't feel like my code became better or easier to maintain, after reading other programming advice books, including "Clean Code".

   A distant second recommendation is Programming Pearls, which had some gems in it.

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5. swahJan 2025
   Perplexity:

   Based on the discussions from the provided Hacker News threads, here is a list of ten notable books recommended by users, particularly in the context of software engineering and programming:

   ## Top Ten Recommended Books

   - *The Pragmatic Programmer* by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas A classic in software development, this book offers practical advice and principles for programmers.

   - *Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship* by Robert C. Martin This book emphasizes writing clean, maintainable code and has become a staple in programming literature.

   - *A Philosophy of Software Design* by John Ousterhout This book provides insights into software design principles and the importance of simplicity in design.

   - *Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software* by Eric Evans A foundational text for understanding complex software systems and how to manage them effectively.

   - *Designing Data-Intensive Applications* by Martin Kleppmann This book covers the principles of designing applications that handle large volumes of data efficiently.

   - *Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code* by Martin Fowler Focuses on the process of refactoring code to improve its structure without changing its functionality.

   - *Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction* by Steve McConnell This comprehensive guide covers best practices in software construction and coding techniques.

   - *Effective Java* by Joshua Bloch A must-read for Java developers, this book provides best practices for writing robust Java code.

   - *The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering* by Frederick P. Brooks Jr. A classic work discussing the complexities and challenges of managing software projects.

   - *Programming Pearls* by Jon Bentley This book presents programming problems and solutions that enhance problem-solving skills and algorithmic thinking.

   These books are highly regarded within the programming community and cover a range of topics from coding practices to software design philosophies, making them valuable resources for both new and experienced developers.

   Citations: [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41387062 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35929112 [3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32130578 [4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41387062 [5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35929112 [6] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32130578 [7] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29498220 [8] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29306651

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6. daantjeJan 2025
   Reading about this and similar techniques in Programming Pearls (Second Edition) by Jon Bentley left the younger me spellbound. Similar to the evolution of linkers up to mold.
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