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Beyond the Surface: What My Support Sprint Taught Me About Reading Code
Why Reading Code is Just as Important as Writing It
Table of contents
Over the past month, I’ve found myself spending a lot of time reading through existing code—whether during a support sprint, trying to understand a feature, or exploring how something is implemented in a different project. I’ve realized that reading code can be incredibly insightful, especially when you’re trying to figure things out on your own. In my recent support sprint, as I spent a lot of time reading code, here’s what I found interesting and useful about diving into the source code.
Levels of Debugging
I realized that debugging can be broken down into different layers:
It’s immediately obvious: Sometimes the issue is crystal clear from the get-go.
Google to the rescue: You search for the error message, find a solution online, and it’s fixed.
Code reveals the answer: You’re not sure what’s wrong, but digging into the source code usually helps you piece it together.
Deeper knowledge needed: Occasionally, you’re missing a fundamental understanding of the system, and that’s when you need outside help.
Most of my debugging fell into the third category. For example, I once thought an issue was a simple frontend problem. I expected it to be a straightforward fix. But when I traced the code, I discovered that the issue was deeply tied to backend logic I wasn’t aware of. This realization required me to dive into the backend code and understand the underlying logic that was affecting the frontend. Using grep and searching through the code was incredibly useful. Sometimes, though, I hit a wall and had to escalate to the fourth level, relying on colleagues who knew the ins and outs of the system better than I did. In those cases, asking for help is crucial. I’m lucky to work with a team that knows a lot about different aspects of the project. They’re able to offer insights or point me in the right direction.
The Power of Reading Code
What’s become clear to me is how crucial reading code is, not just for debugging but for learning and improvement:
- Finding Answers: When documentation falls short, the code is the fastest way to get answers. I can trace the logic, see how things interact, and understand the conditions being checked. I can see exactly what conditions are checked and how a function behaves. It helps me find the answer to all sorts of questions—what gets returned from this function? Is this component reused anywhere else? What exactly is this API call doing? There are so many little details that you can only learn by looking at the code directly.
Learning New Techniques: Every time I read someone else’s code, I get a peek into their thought process. I see how they structure their logic, handle edge cases, or optimize for performance. It’s like getting a free lesson in problem-solving.
Understanding the System: Reading through code helps you see the bigger picture. Instead of just fixing a bug, I get to understand how different parts of the system fit together, which makes it easier to navigate and modify the code without breaking things.
Write better code: The more I see how others handle common challenges—like error handling or dependency management—the more I improve my own coding practices. I start adopting best practices almost naturally.
Final Thought
Reading code isn’t just about fixing bugs or understanding how a single function works. It’s about discovering how things fit together, learning new approaches, and even getting better at writing your own code. If you’re stuck on a problem or need to understand a feature better, dive into the source code. It’s a powerful way to get answers, learn new things, and gain a clearer view of the system. The more you read code, the better you become at solving problems and writing your own.
