Writing code and reading code are substantially different activities, particularly when dealing with code that is unfamiliar, authored by someone else, or written in a programming language you're not accustomed to. The ability to read code is a separate skill that is often overlooked, and even programmers lack proficiency or effectiveness in this area. Yet, the capacity to efficiently comprehend and interpret code is crucial for successfully navigating the technological landscape, especially with all the new code created by generative AI.


Let’s jointly examine an unknown piece of code and use different techniques to get an understanding of the how and why. In this highly collaborative session in which we will explore some of the following questions:


What can we do when we approach a piece of unfamiliar code?
How can we use visualization techniques to understand the data flow?
Which pieces of information can we use to understand what the code does?
What can we learn about the decisions made in the code and their consequences?
How do other people read code?


There is no right or wrong, no winner or competition: The goal is to reflect on how we read code and practice some techniques that can help to get a quicker and deeper understanding of the code.


This session is for people who have had some exposure to code (what are variables, functions, conditions).


The session can provide value for a lot of people in different roles adjacent to coding, but people without basic programming knowledge might get less value out of it.

Speaker profile: 

Samuel Nitsche is a curiosity-driven software developer who programs, learns and collaborates in the software trade since the early 2000s.
His primary interest is in code quality, code reading, modern database development, and automated testing, topics he writes regularly about on different platforms (e.g. his blog https://developer-sam.de, Simple-Talk, and several Oracle-related print magazines).
He is an Oracle ACE alumni, a Symposium 42 member, a MASH (Mentor and Speaker Hub, http://mashprogram.wordpress.com) core member and has been one of the main contributors and maintainers of utPLSQL (http://utplsql.org).
As a workshop facilitator, speaker, and keynote speaker he loves to share his experience in an entertaining way - gladly collaborating with plush animals and using lightsabers - at meetups and conferences.

MoT Munich - Code Reading Club Session - Advanced (Quality Minds)