Scott Meyers

Scott Meyers is the author of three books on the C++ computer programming language and a CD that integrates two of those books in electronic form. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and trade shows. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Brown University and M.S. in computer science from Stanford University.

Meyers is planning on writing a book titled The Keyhole Problem. The title refers to limitations on information visualization and human computer interaction caused by GUI elements that are not big enough to properly display their content, which can cause usability problems. These are visible keyholes. Invisible keyholes are caused by, for example, using too few bits to represent numbers, using signed vs. unsigned numbers, and restricted field sizes.

Among other points, Meyers has expressed opposition to asking programmers to solve design or programming problems during job interviews, making him a minority in this camp:

"I hate anything that asks me to design on the spot. That's asking to demonstrate a skill rarely required on the job in a high-stress environment, where it is difficult for a candidate to accurately prove their abilities. I think it's fundamentally an unfair thing to request of a candidate."

In March 2009, Meyers was awarded the Dr. Dobb's Journal Excellence in Programming Award.

Publications

• 1992. Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs. ISBN 0-321-33487-6
• 1995. More Effective C++: 35 New Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs. ISBN 0-201-63371-X
• 2001. Effective STL: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Use of the Standard Template Library. ISBN 0-201-74962-9

External links

• Scott's website
• The Keyhole Problem Paper in PDF format