The Elements of Style by [William Strunk, Jr.] and [E.B. White] has long been a favorite of English majors and great writers. [James Devlin] suggests that it can also be a good reference for programmers. With just a few changes in wording, the same guidance that applies to good writing can apply to good coding. For example, [Strunk] and [White} emphasize the importance of structural design to writing. Replace “writing” with “programming”, and the principles are exactly the same: “Programming, to be effective, must follow closely the thoughts of the writer programmer, but not necessarily in the order in which those thoughts occur.” So keep this guide in mind next time you start a new project.
[via Kottke]
