Software Design by Example

The best way to learn design in any field is to study examples, and some of the best examples of software design come from the tools programmers use in their own work. Software Design by Example: A Tool-Based Introduction with JavaScript therefore builds small versions of the things programmers use in order to demystify them and give some insights into how experienced programmers think. From a file backup system and a testing framework to a regular expression matcher, a browser layout engine, and a very small compiler, we explore common design patterns, show how making code easier to test also makes it easier to reuse, and help readers understand how debuggers, profilers, package managers, and version control systems work so that they can use them more effectively.

This material can be used for self-paced study, in an undergraduate course on software design, or as the core of an intensive weeklong workshop for working programmers. Each chapter has a set of ex