How do you navigate someone else's code?

Question

Programming

Hello everyone, it became purely interesting how different people navigate in someone else's code and how much time does it take you if no one explains to you what and why? For example, I use the "how would I do" method, but it is more suitable for a new task that no one has done before you and not for orienting in the code. Well, most often it turns out to follow the logical option that I look at the code, and I think like this: "yeah, so he uses this here, then he gets from it, etc."
Do you have any great methods of your own? Don't be afraid, share

Answer 1

First, you superficially go over what can be called a lifecycle in order to understand what is coming after. This gives a basic understanding of the internal structure. Then you read the code and comments (if any), documentation (if any). You switch between methods/functions/classes, run through the debugger and stop at the right points to see the state of the application at the right moment. The degree of pain and hemorrhoids of this process strongly depends on the quality of the architecture and the quality of the code as a whole.

Answer 2

even in your code, a year later, you look and see a fig, a stranger, in general, darkness, only if the author inserts comments on each line, then something can be understood.

Answer 3

I look at the code, what is implemented and how
. If there is an opportunity, I launch it, then I look at what is needed for what, it helps