Free Agile Software Development Book

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August 4, 2008

Here is an excellent, free software development book, Essential Skills for Agile Development, written by Tong Ka Iok, that reflects his many years of software application building experience. has in software development and training. This freely available book provides many easy to read and understand examples that present Agile Software Development from a hit-the-ground running perspective. These include: how to handle duplicate code, comments, and bloated code; how to write effective end-user requirements; how to perform TDD (including functional testing, user interface testing and unit testing); and how to use a database in Agile Development. By applying the examples, you will learn the required skills and put them into practice immediately.

Essential Skills for Agile Development teaches the programming concepts of Agile Development one skill at a time by presenting exercises that the authors expect you to complete. So you can learn what you're doing correctly and incorrectly, it also gives you sample solutions to the exercises. To reinforce the skills taught, the book gives repeated exercises that test you on the skills taught previously, so reading the chapters sequentially is recommended. This book can be used as training for software developers, and its also an ideal reference for Java programming. To effectively use this book you should have knowledge in reading Java and HTML code, and read and write SQL.

You may download the whole book (427 pages, 2.26mb, pdf format) or you can access each chapter in pdf format.

Table of Contents of Essential Skills for Agile Development:

Chapter 1. Removing duplicate code
Chapter 2. Turning comments into code
Chapter 3. Removing code smells
Chapter 4. Keeping code fit
Chapter 5. Take care to inherit
Chapter 6. Handling inappropriate references
Chapter 7. Separate database, user interface and domain logic
Chapter 8. Managing software projects with user stories
Chapter 9. OO design with CRC cards
Chapter 10. Acceptance test
Chapter 11. How to acceptance test a user interface
Chapter 12. Unit test
Chapter 13. Test driven development
Chapter 14. Team development with CVS
Chapter 15. Essential skills for communications
Chapter 16. Pair programming