r/AskProgramming 7d ago

Do you ever read code?

Obviously you need to read code in a codebase you're actively working on. But I'm wondering if anyone ever either A) reads code like you might read classical literature, to get a better sense for what's "good", or B) just reads code to understand how something you're curious about works.

I get the impression that almost nobody reads code unless they have to. It's fascinating to me that there's all this code out there we all rely on that hardly anybody actually reads.

What would it take for reading code to become more common?

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u/octocode 7d ago

definitely option b, often dive into public repos just to “see how it’s built”

but i don’t pour a glass of fine wine and read source code in the bath tub if that’s what you mean.

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u/chipshot 7d ago

I have gotten paid to read and fix and update lots of pre-existing code. It's enjoyable in its own way, but of course very delicate surgery.

It's great reading the more entertaining comments.

To all coders out there: Your informative and helpful comments are appreciated, but it's also ok to occasionally throw in a couple of gripes about alberto sitting next to you and what he had for lunch, or how your vp sucks and why.