PUBLISHED BY Microsoft Press A Division of Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington 98052-6399 Copyright © 2004 by Steven C. McConnell All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McConnell, Steve Code Complete / Steve McConnell.--2nd ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-7356-1967-0 1. Computer Software--Development--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. QA76.76.D47M39 2004 005.1--dc22 2004049981 Printed and bound in the United States of America. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 QGT 6 5 4 3 2 1 Distributed in Canada by H.B. Fenn and Company Ltd. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Microsoft Press books are available through booksellers and distributors worldwide. For further information about international editions, contact your local Microsoft Corporation office or contact Microsoft Press Inter￾national directly at fax (425) 936-7329. Visit our Web site at www.microsoft.com/mspress. Send comments to mspinput@microsoft.com. Microsoft, Microsoft Press, PowerPoint, Visual Basic, Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trade￾marks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred. This book expresses the author’s views and opinions. The information contained in this book is provided with￾out any express, statutory, or implied warranties. Neither the authors, Microsoft Corporation, nor its resellers, or distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused either directly or indirectly by this book. Acquisitions Editors: Linda Engelman and Robin Van Steenburgh Project Editor: Devon Musgrave Indexer: Bill Myers Principal Desktop Publisher: Carl Diltz Body Part No. X10-53130 A03L619670.fm Page iv Thursday, April 7, 2011 5:54 PM Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> To my wife, Ashlie, who doesn't have much to do with computer programming but who has everything to do with enriching the rest of my life in more ways than I could possibly describe