3 Actions For Devs New To A Legacy Software Project
At some point in your career, you will need to take over a legacy software project. It is 100% unavoidable. These are the top 3 tips to consider when taking over a legacy software project for a developer who is new to the application.
Know the business.
Get your accounts squared away
Learn the data model
1. Know the business.
Read about every aspect that makes your project so important. Do you understand who your competitors are, have you looked at open source applications, etc? Can you see the company’s fundraising pitch deck? Doing that research will make not only your technical job more motivating, it sets the stage for you to make rock solid recommendations to make the business and your team better!
2. Get Accounts Squared Away
Take time to document the accounts needed. With many systems and apis, developers need access to multiple SAAS products to include build systems, deployment tools, database accounts, user passwords, testing passwords, platform accesses, VPN, etc.
3. Learn the data model
Print out the data model, post it to your wall, and love it. Even if you are using Object Relational Mapping (ORM), it is important that you know the basic model and understand how it is all connected.