Manual Code Browsing
Manual code browsing is the practice of systematically exploring and reading through source code files without automated tools, relying on human navigation and comprehension. It involves techniques like scanning directories, opening files, and tracing code paths to understand structure, logic, and dependencies. This skill is essential for debugging, code reviews, and onboarding to unfamiliar codebases.
Developers should learn manual code browsing to effectively work with legacy systems, open-source projects, or when automated tools are unavailable or insufficient. It's crucial for tasks like identifying bugs, understanding undocumented code, and performing thorough code reviews where context and nuance matter. This skill enhances problem-solving and reduces reliance on external tools in resource-constrained environments.