In Zen in the Art of Rewriting, Raganwald wants to give us the moon, but can only manage a tattered robe. Good writing, like good software, requires rewriting. It can be a difficult and time consuming job with often invisible results.

Alexey Radul details the Programming Habits that, as he describes, are essential to the success of any software, sufficiently easy to describe, and not known and loved as universally as they should be. He touches on Version Control (always, and from the start), Builds Systems (automate everything), Test Suites (test everything), Code Reviews (two heads can be better than one), Refactoring (don’t be afraid), and Code Style (have one).

These are great reminders for those who are tempted to let good practices slip, and also a great introduction and justification for those just starting to dabble in the world of software development. Imagine if everyone started off by using version control and test suites?

The folks over a Virtual Hosting have put together a list of 12 Non-Dev-Related Tools Every Programmer Should Have. These are things that help them get the job done, but don’t have much to do with coding. What things keep you happy?

RefactorMyCode.com lets you submit a code snippet for scrutiny by fellow programmers. See if your hard work can stand up to the rest.