Name: How To NOT Learn A Codebase
Uploaded: 2024-03-18T17:55:15+00:00
Duration: 7 min 27 s
Description: The biggest mistake engineers make when going into a new codebase is to excessively read through the code and documentat

How To NOT Learn A Codebase

The biggest mistake engineers make when going into a new codebase is to excessively read through the code and documentation. This is a horrible way to learn. 

The problem is exacerbated because the supporting documentation of the code is usually out-of-date: the docs can't keep up in a fast-moving tech company.

Instead, just dig in and start coding!

- Break things
- Add all the print statements ever
- Get the debugger working
- Run the code and see what happens

The key takeaway is that you should **get your hands on the keyboard** (even if it's uncomfortable).

The biggest mistake engineers make when going into a new codebase is to excessively read through the code and documentat

Code review is one of the most common and powerful ways for software engineers to learn. On top of increasing code quality, it builds engineering culture within a team.

Code review can catch coding mistakes and design flaws before the code reaches production

A good code review process is needed to catch bugs, increase maintainability, and guarantee a high velocity future contributors.

Code review ensures high quality software that is maintainable for the lifetime of the code

With how often software engineers change teams, it's crucial to be efficient at this. Learn how to get coding within a new codebase fast, build the proper relationships, and hit the ground running in general.