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Shania Leven is CEO. code reference, is a tool to visualize the code lifecycle. CodeSee is available as a benefit for Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub members.
If you’re building web applications for your business, your team might consist entirely of developers. There may be designers, sales and marketing people, product owners, and executives who never read a line of code who never code. Not everyone involved in an application is a programmer, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to learn more. After all, they want to see their business thrive, and they need to know what’s under the hood in order to contribute to that success. Everyone on the team knows what’s going on in the codebase, whether they’re requesting new features, using the system in their day-to-day work, or supporting customers using the application. you get great benefits from.
A codebase is the complete set of source code, configuration files, and other resources that make up a software application or program. It contains all the code and files needed to build, test and deploy software. It is typically managed using a version control system such as Git to track changes made to code over time, making it easy to ensure team members are working on the same version.
With the right tools, everyone on your team can intuitively understand the codebase, how the system is built, and why it works. In this article, we’ll take a look at how this is possible and how it can benefit team members (and the business as a whole).
Which team members can benefit from understanding the codebase?
- key stakeholders These are the people who make high-level decisions about the design of the system.they might be Product owner, management, or Developer If you are working on another part of the system. You may not need to fully understand the code, but you should know the extent to which you need to change it. Showing the inner workings of your application to key stakeholders helps them understand what it takes to add new functionality.
- Library or API Consumer We haven’t invested much in the specific design of the overall system, but you may want to add your own features or fix any bugs you come across. This is especially true if they are in-house or working on open source projects. Providing a sleek interface for understanding your codebase makes it easier for other developers to contribute to your project.
- Interested non-contributors They can’t contribute to your application’s codebase, but they do have a strong interest in seeing your application succeed. They could be customer service, sales, or marketing team members. For these people, understanding the high-level aspects of the application will help them collaborate across teams.
Make it easy for people who don’t write code to understand how it works
Understanding the codebase can be a daunting task for non-developers. There are ways to make them more accessible and understandable, but whether a company can implement them depends on staffing and time constraints. One of the easiest ways is to ask the developer to give you an overview of the codebase, explaining its structure, the major components, and how they work together to create your application. This gives you a better understanding of your codebase, but may not be the most efficient use of your working time.
Another option is to have non-developers read the codebase documentation that explains the purpose and function of each module or component. It helps you understand how the codebase is structured, how it works, and important information about software features, limitations, and known issues. Of course, the effectiveness of this method depends on the amount of technical knowledge the team has.
If the codebase contains a user interface, examining it will help the team understand how the software works from the user’s perspective. It helps you understand the purpose of the various components in your codebase and how they contribute to the user experience. Similarly, visualization tools are available to help you understand your codebase. These tools can show relationships between various components and highlight key features. This is especially useful for non-developers who have difficulty reading and understanding source code.
![Onboarding codebase map for open source hub](https://startups.microsoft.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Open-Source-Hub-Onboarding_Codebase_Map-1024x646.png)
CodeSee’s approach to helping non-coders
Code visualization tools aren’t new, but CodeSee takes a new approach. By providing an automated base layer of code analysis, it quickly and intuitively visualizes your entire codebase without requiring any human input other than providing the address of your GitHub repository. Also, since this is his GitHub plugin, the code remains on his GitHub and only a high level overview is visible in CodeSee. CodeSee’s maps and summaries sync directly to your code as it changes, without interspersing comments in the code itself.
![A walkthrough tour of the new Redux architecture for planned features](https://startups.microsoft.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Tour_Walking_Through_Planned_Feature_New_Redux_Architecture-1024x591.png)
After automated CodeSee analysis, you can add an additional layer of documentation on top of the simple map to view references between files in your codebase. Add labels, colors and notes to any node in the auto-generated dependency graph.You can also Configure an onboarding map to guide developers (or others) who are unfamiliar with the codebase for what matters most. If you’re interested in learning more about what CodeSee can do, check out: 3 minute demo video.
![How to add an open source hub interactive onboarding tour project](https://startups.microsoft.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Open_Source_Hub_Interactive_Onboarding_Tour_How_to_Add_Project-1024x592.png)
The entire team, regardless of technical experience, can greatly benefit from CodeSee tools, and so can external (or new) developers. Our codemap is an incredibly smooth method. Join Any Developer People new to your codebase. Not only that, but the map is automatically updated every time you commit a code change, so minimal maintenance is required to keep developers on board with the project at all times.
keep the whole team informed
Building software is hard, but you don’t have to give away your knowledge to non-programmers.involvement all Product development team members can help developers be more efficient and inform colleagues about technical decisions.
CodeSee is one of several Benefits of a trusted partner Available to members of the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub. Members receive a free 3-month subscription to the CodeSee Business Plan, plus an additional 25% discount for 3 months totaling $109.
Looking for tools and resources to help build your startup? Sign up for the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub today.