1. Diving into a large, legacy code::base as a youngster
Have you ever wondered what it’s like jumping into a source that is older than you?
Let alone print it and it would probably weigh more than you.
Are you interested in how you could utilize yourself in it? Well, then let me take you on a quick journey.
Kristóf code::dive 2018

2. What you won’t hear about?
Strictly technical stuff
Clean Code, Core Guidelines
How to change the World?
- Of course you can always Google it, buy a book or just choose a presentation with that specific theme
Kristóf code::dive 2018

3. Who am I? Intern for 2 years Full-time for past 1.5 year
Started in base infrastructures
Moved to feature projects
Love things starting with C cars, cats, code::dive…
We actually have our own for-internal-usage library
Experience both sides of the coin
Rather easy choice to start getting nvolved in C++ and become a C++ developer
Kristóf code::dive 2018

4. Let’s put this into context
Started off in 1982
Born as a Pascal project
Tool assisted swap to C
C++ since 1993
Never rebuilt from scratch
- As its name resembles, a CAD software which means, you have a pretty hefty, sometimes not so straightforward business logic
- Pushed the compiler to the limit by that time
Nobody has ever pressed Shift + Delete on the source code for the past 35 years
Kristóf code::dive 2018

5. Let’s talk numbers 30+ million lines of code ~250 developers
365 days in a year
Relatively not so much for that huge ammount of source code
I might not say anything new with that, but you have 365 days in a year
Kristóf code::dive 2018

6. All of that… + YOU = ? Kristóf Kerekes @ code::dive 2018
Now that is the equation.
All you have to do is come up with a solution
Kristóf code::dive 2018

7. Your disadvantages are your advantages
You’re new to the code
You’re new to the environment
Quickly identify bottlenecks
And misuses
You have a whole new perspective on things, a fresh mind to begin with.
Utilize this to help yourself and your colleagues
Something architects call „drawing blindness” – you actually believe what you’re doing is good
Bottlenecks: in processes, development tools, coding standards
Misuses: be it tools or coding patterns, anything that is tickling your mind that something is wrong
I want to encourage you to use your spider senses to identify problems
Kristóf code::dive 2018

8. Explore into the code Get an idea on how stuff works
Don’t actually try to understand ALL of it at once
Some dedication needed at this point
Don’t forget to take notes
Find things that challenge you
Now this will awaken the hitchhiker in most of you
Whenever you have the chance
Don’t try to understand ALL because you will go MAD pretty quickly
Just get an idea about the system, coding practices, business logic
You do not want to relearn everything every other day
Kristóf code::dive 2018

9. Your colleagues are invaluable
Don’t be afraid to ask
Validate the problems you’ve found
Propagate your foundations
Ask whenever you need that extra info or thrive to understand that very last bit
Put some light on what you’ve found, give some insight on what you think
Kristóf code::dive 2018

10. Drive the process Stand up for your points Be assertive Get it done
- If it matters, of course not only to you, then put it on the table
Kristóf code::dive 2018

11. To sum it all up Use your spider senses Do some exploration
Colleagues are invaluable
Get it done
When you feel something is wrong, it probably is
Explore to identify further technical / tool or process related problems
Don’t be afraid to rely on your colleagues. When you’ve put all the effort, they will appreciate the initiative
Of course ideas and innovations are all meaningless without execution, so keep on going until you’re done with it
Let me finish this off by a quote that is well related to how these legacy / huge codebases work, I’ll bid farewell with some Gandhi
Kristóf code::dive 2018

12. „Be the change you wish to see in the World.” - Mahatma Gandhi
Thanks everyone for your attention
Also thanks for those tuning in over YouTube, don’t forget to hit the Subscribe button - HERE
Kristóf code::dive 2018