The Pragmatic Bookshelf

Agile Coaching

Discover how to coach your team to become more Agile. Agile Coaching de-mystifies agile practices—it’s a practical guide to creating strong agile teams. Packed with useful tips from practicing agile coaches Rachel Davies and Liz Sedley, this book gives you coaching tools that you can apply whether you are a project manager, a technical lead, or working in a software team.

Aug 2009

Cocoa Programming

Apple’s Cocoa frameworks let you write powerful and attractive applications for Mac OS X or the iPhone. With this book plus your existing knowledge of object-oriented programming you can take advantage of Cocoa and create compelling, feature rich, compliant Mac applications for this industry-leading environment.

• If you need a jump start using Xcode (the IDE used for Mac OS X programming), have a look at Mike Clark’s two-part screencast series.

Oct 2009

Core Data

Learn the Apple Core Data APIs from the ground up. You can concentrate on designing the model for your application, and use the power of Core Data to do the rest. This book will take you from beginning with Core Data through to expert level configurations that you will not find anywhere else. Learn why you should be using Core Data for your next Cocoa project, and how to use it most effectively.

Oct 2009

Debug It!

Some developers thrash around aimlessly looking for a bug without concrete results. Others have the knack of unerringly zeroing in on the root cause of a bug. Are they geniuses? Just lucky? No, they’ve learned the secrets of professional debugging. This book will equip you with the tools, techniques and approaches-proven in the crucible of professional software development-to ensure that you can tackle any bug with confidence.

You’ll learn how to handle every stage of the bug life-cycle, from constructing software that makes debugging easy, through detection, reproduction, diagnosis and rolling out your eventual fix.

Sep 2009

Domain-Driven Design Using Naked Objects

Domain-driven design (DDD) focuses on what matters in enterprise applications: the core business domain. But applying the DDD principles can be easier said than done. Enter Naked Objects: an open-source Java framework that lets you build working applications simply by writing the core domain classes while Naked Objects takes care of the rest of the application infrastructure for you. This book shows how you can rapidly develop and test domain applications, and then deploy to either conventional architectures or onto Naked Objects itself. Get ready to write some of the best business software of your career.

Sep 2009

Grails

Java web development is notoriously tedious, but help is on the way: Grails. Using the principle of convention-over-configuration and the dynamic Groovy programming language, Grails takes the pain out of web development and brings back the fun. This book will get you up and running with Grails by putting it to use in constructing an original, working application from start to finish.

Nov 2009

iPhone SDK Development

Jump into application development for today’s most remarkable mobile communications platform, the Pragmatic way, with iPhone SDK Development. This Pragmatic guide takes you through the tools and APIs, the same ones Apple uses for its applications, that you can use to create your own software for the iPhone and iPod touch. Packed with useful examples, this book will give you both the big-picture concepts and the everyday “gotcha” details that developers need to make the most of the beauty and power of the iPhone OS platform.

• If you need a jump start using Xcode (the IDE used for iPhone development), have a look at Mike Clark’s two-part screencast series.
• Be sure to also check out our iPhone Screencast Series for 3 hours of guided instruction! You can get started with the free Getting Started with Xcode and Interface Builder episode.

Sep 2009

Land the Tech Job You Love

You’ve got the technical chops—the skills to get a great job doing what you love. Now it’s time to get down to the business of planning your job search, focusing your time and attention on the job leads that matter, and interviewing to wow your boss-to-be. Land the tech job you love.

Jun 2009

Language Design Patterns

Learn to build configuration file readers, data readers, model-driven code generators, source-to-source translators, source analyzers, and interpreters. You don’t need a background in computer science—ANTLR creator Terence Parr demystifies language implementation by breaking it down into the most common design patterns. Pattern by pattern, you’ll learn the key skills you need to implement your own computer languages.

Nov 2009

Manage Your Project Portfolio

Too many projects? Want to organize them and evaluate them without getting buried under a mountain of statistics? This book will help you collect all your work, decide which projects you should do first, second—and never. You’ll see how to tie your work to your organization’s mission and show your board, your managers, and your staff what you can accomplish and when. You’ll get a better view of the work you have, and learn how to make those difficult decisions, ensuring that all your strength is focused where it needs to be.

Aug 2009

Modular Java

Attack complexity in your Java applications using Modular Java. This pragmatic guide introduces you to OSGi and Spring Dynamic Modules, two of the most compelling frameworks for Java modularization. Driven by real-world examples, this book will equip you with the know-how you need to develop Java applications that are composed of smaller, loosely coupled, highly cohesive modules.

Jul 2009

Programming Clojure

If you’re a Java programmer, if you care about concurrency, or if you enjoy working in low-ceremony language such as Ruby or Python, Programming Clojure is for you. Clojure is a general-purpose language with direct support for Java, a modern Lisp dialect, and support in both the language and data structures for functional programming. Programming Clojure shows you how to write applications that have the beauty and elegance of a good scripting language, the power and reach of the JVM, and a modern, concurrency-safe functional style. Now you can write beautiful code that runs fast and scales well.

May 2009

Programming Cocoa with Ruby

Programming Cocoa with Ruby brings together two enthusiastic development communities. Ruby programmers will tell you how productive they are with just the right amount of code. Cocoa developers know the importance of a clean, intuitive interface.

Now, through Programming Cocoa with Ruby, the joy of Cocoa meets the joy of Ruby.

Jul 2009

Programming Scala

Scala is an exciting, modern, multi-paradigm language for the JVM. You can use it to write traditional, imperative, object-oriented code. But you can also leverage its higher level of abstraction to take full advantage of modern, multicore systems. Programming Scala will show you how to use this powerful functional programming language to create highly scalable, highly concurrent applications on the Java Platform.

Jul 2009

The Passionate Programmer

This book is about creating a remarkable career in software development. In most cases, remarkable careers don’t come by chance. They require thought, intention, action, and a willingness to change course when you’ve made mistakes. Most of us have been stumbling around letting our careers take us where they may. It’s time to take control. This revised and updated second edition lays out a strategy for planning and creating a radically successful life in software development (the first edition was released as My Job Went to India: 52 Ways To Save Your Job).

May 2009

The RSpec Book

Is your team trying to do TDD and failing? Are you finding your test suites bloated and difficult to read, understand, or maintain? Business applications today are plagued with features that are never used, highly coupled code that is hard to change, and expensive test suites that aren’t run any more because they are brittle and unreadable.

RSpec, Ruby’s leading Behaviour Driven Development tool, helps you do TDD right by embracing the design and documentation aspects of TDD. It encourages readable, maintainable suites of code examples that not only test your code, they document it as well. The RSpec Book will teach you how to use RSpec, Cucumber, and other Ruby tools to develop truly agile software that gets you to market quickly and maintains its value as evolving market trends drive new requirements.

Oct 2009

The Seed of Hope

Charlie and Gideon have grown up under the shadow of the mighty Talent Tree, which towers majestically over the small seaside town of Devon Grove. They’ve waited their entire 13 years for that one special day when those born in Devon Grove would stand under the great tree, catch one of its magical apples, and receive their own amazing talents. That day has finally come.

But then everything goes horribly wrong.

Sep 2009

Web Design for Developers

Web Design for Developers will show you how to make your web-based application look professionally designed. We’ll help you learn how to pick the right colors and fonts, avoid costly interface and accessibility mistakes—your application will really come alive. We’ll also walk you through some common Photoshop and CSS techniques and work through a web site redesign, taking a new design from concept all the way to implementation.

Oct 2009