In reverse engineering we often use Graph View to see execution flow as well. Glad to see it being used elsewhere
Do you automate that? If so what tooling do you use?
IDA does it by default, for example.
Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
11–20 of 54 posts
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#12I always thought to do this visualization in 3d and maybe with VR. Not sure how useful or pleasing experience it would be. Kudos to the author of the project to get this done!
I got Minority Report vibes.
This kind of approach might be what (finally) unlocks visual programming?
I feel like most good programmers are like good chess players. They don't need to see the board (code). But for inputting the code transformation into the system this might be a good programmer's chessboard.
Though to make it work concretely for arbitrary codebases I feel like a coding agent behind the scenes is 100% required.
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#13[dead]
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#14I always thought to do this visualization in 3d and maybe with VR. Not sure how useful or pleasing experience it would be. Kudos to the author of the project to get this done!
I got Minority Report vibes. This kind of approach might be what (finally) unlocks visual programming? I feel like most good programmers are like good chess players. They don't need to see the board (code). But for inputting the code transformation into the system this might be a good programmer's chessboard. Though to make it work concretely for arbitrary codebases I feel like a coding agent behind the scenes is 100…
> I feel like most good programmers are like good chess players.
A specific type or area of developers, I'd say. There are many types and not all of them require understanding sizeable code bases to do their work well.
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#15Do you guys remember the smalltalk toolkit posted here a while ago which their creators made specifically for help understanding new codebases?
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#16- But I'll admit, this isn't precisely how I would do it today
How would you do it today?
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#17Do you guys remember the smalltalk toolkit posted here a while ago which their creators made specifically for help understanding new codebases?
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
I got Minority Report vibes. This kind of approach might be what (finally) unlocks visual programming? I feel like most good programmers are like good chess players. They don't need to see the board (code). But for inputting the code transformation into the system this might be a good programmer's chessboard. Though to make it work concretely for arbitrary codebases I feel like a coding agent behind the scenes is 100…
> I feel like most good programmers are like good chess players. A specific type or area of developers, I'd say. There are many types and not all of them require understanding sizeable code bases to do their work well.
Understanding your large codebase is a few prompts away. You can ask a model to trace through and provide reports on the project's design, architectural and implementation. From there, you can drill in with followups.
Done right, you may not know specific lines or chunks of code by heart, but much like a tuned-in company CEO, you have eyes and ears on the ground and retain global oversight and insight of the project itself. For specifics, you can learn what you need as you need it. If that means knowing how every single module works, that's just a conversation with your agent.
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#19- But I'll admit, this isn't precisely how I would do it today How would you do it today?
I thought that was curious. He says this isn’t how he would do it today then goes on to do it today (or presumably the same day he wrote that he wouldn’t do it this way today).
Re: Untapped Way to Learn a Codebase: Build a Visualizer
#20[dead]