Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!ecngs!feeder2.ecngs.de!newsfeed.freenet.ag!news2.euro.net!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.024 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.95; '*S*': 0.00; 'defines': 0.07; 'nested': 0.07; 'subject:code': 0.07; 'python': 0.09; 'meaningful': 0.09; 'project?': 0.09; 'programmer': 0.11; 'hierarchy': 0.16; 'names?': 0.16; 'specific,': 0.16; 'team,': 0.18; 'variable': 0.20; 'to:2**1': 0.23; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.25; 'leave': 0.26; 'i.e.': 0.27; 'lines': 0.28; 'statements': 0.29; 'url:mailman': 0.29; 'code': 0.31; 'url:python': 0.32; 'structure': 0.32; 'url:listinfo': 0.32; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.33; 'guys': 0.33; 'project': 0.34; 'there': 0.35; 'received:org': 0.36; 'really': 0.36; 'but': 0.36; 'url:org': 0.36; '(i.e.': 0.36; 'modules': 0.36; 'should': 0.36; 'charset:us-ascii': 0.36; 'does': 0.37; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'step': 0.39; 'received:192': 0.39; 'little': 0.39; 'received:192.168': 0.40; 'url:mail': 0.40; 'your': 0.60; "you've": 0.61; 'save': 0.61; 'first': 0.61; 'received:216': 0.62; 'ask,': 0.84; 'brief,': 0.84; 'poorly': 0.93 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 Content-class: urn:content-classes:message MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: RE: Diagramming code Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 13:02:13 -0400 In-Reply-To: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: Diagramming code Thread-Index: Ac1i9uiHXoCx+828Q8azHUbIVR0cNQAfGhoQ References: From: "Sells, Fred" To: "hamilton" , X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 36 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1342458201 news.xs4all.nl 6983 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:43530 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:25426 You leave many relevant questions unanswered. 1. Is the original developer/team available or have you been left with the code and little or no doc's? 2. How big is big in terms of the number of files/modules in the project? =20 3. Is there a reasonable structure to the project in terms of directories and a meaningful hierarchy 4. Does the project currently work and you just have to maintain/enhance it or was it "abandoned" by the original team in an unknown state and you have to save a sinking ship? 5. Are you an experienced Python programmer or a beginner. 6. Is the original code "pythonic" (i.e. clean and simple with brief, well organized methods) or do you have functions over 50 lines of code with multiple nested control statements and meaningless variable names? 7. Is there any documentation that defines what it should do and how it should do it. i.e. how do you know when it's working? These issues are not really Python specific, but if you've been given a "broken" project that has 200 poorly organized modules and little or no documentation and no access to the original team, a good first step would be to update your resume ;) OK then, let me ask, how do you guys learn/understand large projects ? hamilton -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list