3 Defensive Programming Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

Lee Brotherston and Amanda Berlin bring their extensive hands-on experience in information security to this guide that tackles the challenge many organizations face: building effective security programs without a big budget. You'll find concrete methods for establishing policies, handling incidents, managing vulnerabilities, and securing networks, all presented in manageable, practical chapters such as incident response planning and network segmentation. This book suits network engineers, system administrators, and security pros eager to improve infrastructure security step-by-step without getting overwhelmed. It’s straightforward and focused on what you can do now to reduce risks and strengthen defenses.

Alex Kuznetsov draws on over a decade of experience with object-oriented languages and databases to tackle the challenges of writing resilient SQL Server code. You’ll learn how to craft T-SQL that handles unexpected inputs, concurrent loads, and schema changes without breaking, improving both reliability and maintainability. The book walks through specific defensive techniques, such as error handling patterns and concurrency controls, offering practical examples that clarify how to anticipate and manage common pitfalls. If you’re responsible for database development or maintenance, especially in environments where stability is critical, this book sharpens your ability to write robust code that stands up under pressure.

This tailored book explores defensive programming with a focus on creating fail-safe software that aligns with your background and goals. It covers key principles such as error detection, input validation, and fault tolerance, matching your specific interests to help you deepen your understanding effectively. The personalized content reveals how to anticipate and prevent common software failures by emphasizing defensive coding techniques relevant to your environment. By bridging broad expert knowledge with your unique learning needs, this book offers a clear path through complex concepts. It examines real-world scenarios and code examples tailored to your preferred languages and systems, making the study of defensive programming both practical and engaging.

Michèle Delsol presents a focused look at the challenges of programming in C++ within the Arduino environment, a niche that often frustrates developers with its complexity and quirks. You’ll find detailed guidance on selecting the right IDE, such as Visual Studio combined with Visual Micro, and how to leverage seventeen C++ frameworks that prevent reinventing the wheel. The book dives into memory management, debugging with hardware tools, and even introduces a pseudo exception handling framework tailored for Arduino's limitations. If you're working with embedded systems or striving to write more reliable C++ code on constrained devices, this book offers practical insights to smooth your development process.