Whenever I study a new technology or programming concept, I keep running into terms I don't understand. For example, I might be learning concept X, encounter concept Y in its definition, and then feel I need to fully research Y—how it works, why it exists, and how it was designed—before I can continue with X. Then the same thing happens again with the next unfamiliar idea.
This habit is frustrating, takes a lot of time, and often means I forget many of the details anyway. How do experienced software engineers decide what to learn deeply and what to postpone? Do you use a particular process for taking notes, retaining information, and building knowledge over time without trying to understand the entire field before making progress?
3 Answers
Complete understanding of every tool and system is simply not realistic, and that's okay. A practical approach is to understand something well enough for the current task, save a short note or pointer to the important parts, and revisit it when you actually need that knowledge again. Repeated use will gradually turn that broad, surface-level familiarity into deeper understanding.
Projects often require you to work across many areas at once, so prioritizing what matters now is more useful than trying to master everything before making progress.
I usually build something until I hit a roadblock, then research whatever I need to solve it. It may not be the most structured approach, but staying focused on a real project keeps me engaged and gives the research an immediate purpose.
You don't need to understand every dependency all the way down. Start with the outcome you need: what are you trying to build, and what knowledge is required to build it successfully? If concept Y is not blocking your progress, make a note that it exists and move on.
Software is built in layers, with each layer solving problems from the one below it. Following every connection to its foundation can lead back indefinitely. Learn enough to use the current abstraction, then go deeper only when the task or a real problem requires it. You can always return later and expand your understanding.
Going deep is how I normally understand things, but in software it becomes inconvenient very quickly because every advanced topic opens up several more layers. I think I need to get better at deciding when enough understanding is enough.
I'm building a browser extension right now, and I wanted to understand its basic structure before jumping into implementation. I want to learn the underlying ideas rather than blindly assemble the project. How do you keep track of what you learn for later, though? It's impossible to remember everything.