The Art of Code

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The surprising power of beauty in software development
  • MEAP began December 2025
  • Last updated December 2025
  • Publication in Spring 2026 (estimated)
  • ISBN 9781633434929
  • 225 pages (estimated)
  • printed in black & white

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Look inside
Software development is an inherently creative activity that takes technical skill as well as artistry and craftsmanship. This unique book shows you how to improve the performance of your applications and your satisfaction as a developer by writing code that’s elegant, effortlessly comprehensible and a joy to maintain.

The Art of Code isn’t a collection of subjective aesthetic opinions. It is a practical guide to recognizing and creating desirable code qualities, such as simplicity, purity, and expressiveness, that are demonstrably beneficial to you and your team, applicable to virtually any codebase, and beautiful.

what's inside

  • Create software that’s creative, purposeful, and impactful
  • Build enduring systems with modularity, cohesion, and mindful coupling
  • Improve AI-generated code
  • Champion clarity, simplicity, and expressive design on your team
  • Java 25 features like records, lambdas, and streams for elegant, maintainable code
  • Coding sustainably

about the reader

This book is meant for all programmers even though examples use Java. What it teaches can be applied to any language.

about the author

Sandrine Banas is a senior Java expert, lead tech, and passionate software craftswoman with over 25 years of experience. An Oracle Certified Professional, she has spoken about these ideas at conferences including Devoxx, Volcamp, Mixit, Snowcamp, and Agile Grenoble.
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  • access to all Manning books, MEAPs, liveVideos, liveProjects, and audiobooks!
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  • exclusive 50% discount on all purchases
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choose your plan

team

monthly
annual
$49.99
$399.99
only $33.33 per month
  • five seats for your team
  • access to all Manning books, MEAPs, liveVideos, liveProjects, and audiobooks!
  • choose another free product every time you renew
  • choose twelve free products per year
  • exclusive 50% discount on all purchases
  • renews monthly, pause or cancel renewal anytime
  • renews annually, pause or cancel renewal anytime
  • The Art of Code ebook for free