The latest articles on DEV Community by detach detach (@detach_detach_3bb354d5e81). https://dev.to/detach_detach_3bb354d5e81 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4187800%2Ff71179b8-dca6-4362-bf7f-d88f74acc8d3.png https://dev.to/detach_detach_3bb354d5e81 en detach detach Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:14:22 +0000 https://dev.to/detach_detach_3bb354d5e81/how-to-understand-large-codebase-1c07 https://dev.to/detach_detach_3bb354d5e81/how-to-understand-large-codebase-1c07 <p>Hi everyone, I’m having a hard time switching between different projects at work.</p> <p>I’ve recently been assigned to a new project that I’m not familiar with, and I’m struggling to figure out where to start. The tasks and issues I receive are often connected to other functions or modules.</p> <p>The problem is that when I try to understand one function, I realize that I need to understand another function first. Then, to understand that function, I need to understand another one, and it starts to feel like an endless loop.</p> <p>I’m not trying to understand the entire project at once, but I’m having trouble knowing which parts are actually important for the task I’m working on.</p> <p>Do you have any tips or strategies for understanding a large, unfamiliar codebase and tracing how different parts of the system work together?</p> <p>For context:</p> <p>I work mainly with Spring Boot.</p> <p>I have functional requirement documentation provided by the Business Analyst.</p> <p>The project is fairly large, with different functions and modules depending on each other.</p> <p>I’d really appreciate any advice on how experienced developers approach this situation, especially how you decide where to start and how far you should trace dependencies before making a change.</p> learning softwaredevelopment softwareengineering