Table of Contents
How do I start working in a large codebase?
- Take a look at some large open source projects. Before I had my first day on the job, I wished that I’d seen a production codebase before.
- Find out all the tech that’s being used and read the docs.
- Start with tests.
- Make diagrams of everything.
- Use the knowledge of your fellow developers.
- Just fix it!
How do you manage a large codebase?
Work effectively on a large codebase
- Realize that you can only understand a small fraction of the codebase.
- Realize that it takes time (probably months) to understand even a small faction of a codebase.
- Realize that code is not everything.
How do I learn new codebase?
9 tips to understand new code base:
- Get a big picture of the application and features you will work on.
- Find someone who worked with that code before and ask them to walk you through it.
- Debug, debug, debug!
- Don’t be stuck for too long, ask for help.
- If you don’t know something let others know.
- Ask for code review.
How do I learn a new code base?
How to Approach a New Codebase
- Contents. Section titled Contents.
- Start from the top. Section titled Start from the top.
- You do not need to understand the whole codebase.
- Use the finished product yourself.
- Run the code locally.
- Ask questions.
- Pair program.
- Read and write documentation.
How do I become a better developer?
Keep your mind in check and you’ll push through. When you run into something confusing or frustrating, re-position your mind: this obstacle is a learning opportunity. It’s an opportunity to understand something new and grow. It sucks, it feels bad, but soon after this you will be a better developer.
What happens when you dive into a project with an unknown codebase?
Diving into new, existing projects with unknown codebases is a regular occurrence. Whether it’s because you’ve started a new job or just switched teams within the same company, the challenge is the same: learn the code, start working, and don’t break stuff.
What does it take to be a code programmer?
Code captures implicit assumptions and encodes knowledge about the domain the product is meant to serve, as well as how it will be run and how it was written. Your job is to learn and understand all that. You need to build up a mental model of the product.
What do you need to learn when joining a new project?
The most obvious thing you need to learn when joining a new project is the code. You need to figure out what classes there are, what the classes do, where the core logic is for different features and functions, etc. Unfortunately, the code is not all you need to learn.