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As a new programmer, everyone tells you to build. But just as important is reading. Reading code is a powerful exercise - dissecting the source code of gems and libraries used in Rails offers the opportunity to examine patterns and design choices, while building confidence in new developers. But good code reading isn't as simple as scanning the source. The concrete guidelines outlined in this talk can maximize the benefits of your future code reading sessions and help you grow as a developer. Hacker-in-Residence at the New York Tech Meetup. Graduate of the Flatiron School. Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FG1O/
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The video titled "Reading Code Good" features Saron Yitbarek at RailsConf 2014. It emphasizes the importance of reading code for new programmers alongside building applications. Yitbarek shares her journey from a non-technical role in a tech startup to becoming a programmer, highlighting the value of understanding code to enhance skills and build confidence. The purpose of her talk is to offer guidelines for effective code reading, primarily through the collective experience shared in a code reading group she formed with her peers. Key points discussed in the video include: - **The Journey to Becoming a Programmer:** Yitbarek recounts her transition from business development to coding, outlining the confusion and excitement of learning a new skill. - **The Value of Reading Code:** Emphasizes how analyzing code can provide insights into design choices, coding patterns, and developer intent, thus allowing programmers to elevate their expertise. - **Creating a Code Reading Group:** Yitbarek and her peers established a weekly code reading club to dissect exemplary code. This experience turned out to be beneficial for collaborative learning. - **Guidelines for Code Reading:** She presents several guidelines to maximize the benefits of code reading sessions: - Choose a manageable code base (100 lines suggested). - Encourage discussions and digressions as these lead to deeper understanding. - Engage other programmers as a team to foster a supportive learning environment. - Create opportunities for interaction with the code, encouraging questions and alternative methods of solving problems. - Recognize that both good and bad code can provide valuable learning experiences. - Identify knowledge gaps collectively, and engage in further research when needed. - Maintain commitment to regular sessions to build a habit of learning. - Seek interesting code that connects to personal or professional experiences to enhance engagement. - **Unexpected Benefits:** She discusses how code reading helps in understanding collaboration in open-source projects, builds confidence in navigating complex systems, and promotes exploration of code structures. - **Conclusion and Takeaways:** Reading code should not just be a task but an enjoyable exploration that enhances knowledge and leads to expert-level skills. Over time, through interacting with various codebases and reflective practice, programmers can develop confidence and expertise in their field. The presentation concludes with an invitation to embrace code reading and suggests starting one's own group to enjoy the journey into the world of programming.
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