I've been trying to refactor a section of our app that deals with fetching external reports, processing them, and displaying insights on various user dashboards. The logic is a bit of a mess—fetch operations are scattered across a service file with multiple third-party API calls, parsing is buried two folders deep in utility functions, and data transformation happens in a custom hook that uses conditional mappings depending on user roles. There's also another layer of formatting before the UI renders everything.
While none of this is inherently wrong, there's very little documentation, and no clear connections between the different layers. I tried using blackbox to surface related uses and patterns, which did help somewhat, but most of the time was spent sifting through code line-by-line and mentally mapping it all out.
The change I needed to make was tiny: just adding an extra computed field and displaying it in two places. Despite its simplicity, I had to trace assumptions and verify side effects, which really dragged the process out from what would've taken 30 minutes in a tightly scoped project to almost two days in this chaotic setup.
I'm curious—what's your workflow like in messy, loosely-coupled environments? Do you use temporary trace logs, create visual maps, rely on tests, or even rewrite sections from scratch? I'm looking for tips to speed up my work without getting overwhelmed by context switching or sheer luck.
5 Answers
I usually tackle these issues rather than extending them. Recently, I've been exploring using LLMs to help document specific functionalities. They are slow to work with, but the Claude Sonnet models have been helpful for summarizing existing code. Plus, I heavily rely on test suites—if tests don't exist, brace yourself for a couple of tough days. I generally start by writing high-level tests just to ensure I’m not breaking things while trying to figure it all out.
I can’t say I have a streamlined method, but I think establishing basics like temporary trace logs and visual maps could provide major benefits. That way you won’t feel so lost when everything is all over the place!
Honestly, the key is figuring out how to simplify the problem and just getting down to the work. AI tools are also super handy now—it's like having a mix of Google and StackOverflow right there to explain the code to you, so definitely leverage that!
This is a pretty complex issue, but from my experience, proper documentation and automated tests are crucial. You'd think we’d invest in solid software architecture from the get-go, but often management pushes for speed—leading to chaotic code that feels like a runaway train! It's kind of frustrating when you spend two days on something that should only take half an hour because of poor planning.
Exactly, it's like we're blamed for the mess when it's really the lack of foresight that causes these delays.
I keep plenty of open tabs to visualize the whole call stack and use tools like ripgrep or the go-to-definition feature in my IDE to trace through the code. I always try to have at least one working test that touches both areas I’m modifying. And don’t forget to take breaks—sometimes a long walk or a drink helps clear the frustration and get a fresh perspective!
Totally agree! It often feels like we're just being pushed to get things done without the right safety nets.