When working with production code the first
thing that I always do is to get the current code built and working -
and verify that it is as per the production system.
Always aim to understand the minimum possible, and assume that the rest of the code is working as it should (even if it isn't - it's the mental process that is important).
Try to understand the big stuff first - how each part of the code hangs together and what is being achieved at a high level, then work downwards.
A large sheet of paper and a pack of 10cm^2 post-it notes always help me along. Each post-it is a component of the system, and I can move them to aid understanding.
Always aim to understand the minimum possible, and assume that the rest of the code is working as it should (even if it isn't - it's the mental process that is important).
Try to understand the big stuff first - how each part of the code hangs together and what is being achieved at a high level, then work downwards.
A large sheet of paper and a pack of 10cm^2 post-it notes always help me along. Each post-it is a component of the system, and I can move them to aid understanding.
(http://stackoverflow.com/questions/246546/good-techniques-for-understanding-someone-elses-code)
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