Martin and McClure state the programming ceased to be a craft when structured techniques appeared in the early 1970s (1985 p. 83 - see Reading List for references). Two decades later, software programmers continue to enjoy the freedom to create code at the keyboard, often with little more than a short discussion of the program. In many ways software development today occurs with less design than when structured techniques appeared, and programming looks as much like a craft as ever.
Whether or not this is a good thing, the point is that there is a need for expertise in software development. Programmers need examples that demonstrate not only use of the tools, but good technique. Many code samples you find in books or on the Web do not demonstrate good technique. Therefore, the primary goal of this section is to fill this need.