How I learn a new codebase

Summary

This video discusses the process of understanding and navigating backend code, using a reindexing function as an example. The speaker highlights the importance of identifying key parts of the code and how, over time, engineers can become more efficient at reading and understanding code. The speaker also emphasizes the value of naming conventions and minimal comments for clarity. Aimed at beginners, the video shows how to break down complex tasks and improve productivity when working with code, ultimately helping viewers become more confident engineers.

Takeaways

• 😀 Understanding code takes time, and it's a skill that improves with experience as you become familiar with reading and interpreting different parts of a codebase.
• 😀 Using tools like the F12 console and backend mutations can help you dive into the core of the code when working with specific features or troubleshooting issues.
• 😀 Flowcharts, generated using tools like Mermaid syntax, can provide a visual representation of how a process works, helping you better understand complex code and workflows.
• 😀 As a beginner, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by code, but focusing on key terms and functions like 'get page by URL' or 'existing page' can make the process more manageable.
• 😀 Learning to scan for important keywords and function names in code rather than reading every line helps you understand the code more quickly and efficiently.
• 😀 It's important to separate out the things that matter in the code from the details that don't, helping you avoid unnecessary confusion and frustration.
• 😀 Over time, you will get better at identifying patterns in code, such as function calls and variable names, which allows you to quickly deduce what a block of code is doing.
• 😀 Comments in code can sometimes be unnecessary or redundant if the code is already well-named and self-explanatory, allowing developers to understand functionality through the function names and logic alone.
• 😀 Refactoring code and naming variables with more descriptive terms (e.g., renaming variables like 'embeddings' to 'embeddingsResponse') can make the code cleaner and easier to understand.
• 😀 Although adding comments is not always necessary, they can be helpful in explaining sections of the code or providing additional context for complex logic, especially for beginners.
• 😀 Over time, you'll develop your own approach to understanding code—what works for one person might not work for another, but learning to navigate your codebase efficiently is a valuable skill.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker in this video?

The main focus of the speaker is on understanding and analyzing backend code, specifically for reindexing a page. They demonstrate how to navigate through code and identify key elements that help in understanding its functionality.

How does the speaker suggest improving productivity as an engineer?

The speaker suggests becoming proficient in reading and understanding code more effectively by focusing on the key aspects, such as function names and variable names, and using visualization tools like Mermaid diagrams to make complex processes clearer.

What is the benefit of using a tool like Mermaid to visualize the code?

Using a tool like Mermaid allows the user to generate flowcharts that simplify complex backend processes, making it easier to understand and debug workflows, particularly when reindexing a page in this case.

What is the speaker's approach to code comments?

The speaker generally avoids adding comments to their code, believing that well-named functions and variables make comments unnecessary. They feel that comments, like 'track embedding usage,' often don't provide additional clarity beyond understanding the code itself.

Why does the speaker mention the transition from CoffeeScript to JavaScript/TypeScript?

The speaker refers to their early experiences with CoffeeScript to highlight how they struggled with code comprehension due to the lack of type safety and clarity. This transition to JavaScript/TypeScript is seen as a way to make code more understandable, especially as type safety improves.

What is the significance of understanding function names and variable names in the code?

By focusing on descriptive function names and variable names, the speaker can quickly understand what the code is doing without needing to delve into every line. This allows for faster comprehension and better code navigation.

What does the 'reindex a page' process involve, according to the speaker?

The 'reindex a page' process involves ensuring the page exists, setting the page status to 'crawling,' fetching data from a remote URL, converting HTML to markdown, generating embeddings, tracking usage, and then updating the page content with the newly crawled data.

Why does the speaker suggest improving variable naming in code?

Improving variable naming enhances code clarity, making it easier for developers to understand its functionality at a glance. For example, renaming variables like 'embeddings response' could provide a clearer understanding of their purpose.

What challenges does the speaker mention about being a beginner in code comprehension?

The speaker shares that as a beginner, it can be overwhelming to understand code because everything seems important. They suggest that focusing on high-level components like key functions and variables helps in navigating the complexity.

How does the speaker recommend handling overwhelming code?

The speaker advises breaking down the code into manageable parts and focusing on what matters most, such as understanding key functions and variables, and using tools like Mermaid for visualization to clarify the overall process.