Stage 2 · Lesson 3 of 8
Reading an unfamiliar codebase
does not mean reading it from top to bottom. Nobody does that. Start from the , the places where the program begins: the main file, the routes or that answer requests, the and the folder structure.
Read the and any architecture notes. Then look at the tests, which show how the code is meant to be used. Use search to find where a name is defined and where it is used.
Use the Git history, for example git log and git blame, to see why code changed and who knows it. Draw a rough map of the main parts as you go. The next topic builds on this by following one feature end to end.
Common traptrying to understand everything before changing anything, which feels productive but delays your first real contribution.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- GuideFreeHow to Ask Good Questions (Julia Evans)
Julia Evans · Beginner
A fifteen-minute read that changes how you ask for help from day one
- BookPaidThe Missing README: A Guide for the New Software Engineer
Chris Riccomini and Dmitriy Ryaboy (No Starch Press) · Beginner · $29.99 print, $23.99 ebook
The chapters on getting to competence and working with code match these two weeks closely