Debugging Your Core (Code)
I recently had to debug core code at work.
Core code is essentially “code that a programmer uses many times within a program and is key to the basic functionality of the program”. There are many words for this and definition but I will be using this one. Core classes can include different pieces of code and essentially help make code efficient by reusing it.
Take your body for instance. You always put on underwear (well – some people do) before putting on your clothes. You wear bottoms (so shorts, skirts, pants etc.) and tops but you can always change the actual outfits. Essentially the act of getting dressed and putting on underwear would be core code. It can be reused cause you always do it – it’s part of your core. You can customize how you dress (skirt or pants for bottoms), so those would be the parameters or information that you give your “function” of getting dressed in order to customize it.
I recently had to upgrade core code at work which is like upgrading how you dress from just wearing simple underwear to including shapewear in your everyday outfits. This is how life is or rather works. We build our core from a young age but things change and you need to change the core of what you do. I dislike bras so my core code does not include wearing them anymore but I did as teenager once my body years decided to like gravity. In essence, I have now removed what was not needed/relevant and kept what is to me. The core code, I was debugging, was for an old client that had not had an upgrade in years so much help was needed and experienced eyes.
I got help for this core upgrade from someone familiar with the code cause that’s how it should be. Sometimes you need to upgrade without help but sometimes help will make it go quicker. My mentor, Tim, has helped with my recent core upgrade and made me realize that some variables are not of use now. Things like therapy (which I keep postponing), taking on new hobbies (surfing and tiks toks apparently) and just outside variables can help smoothen the upgrade and make it less painful. These variables do not have to equate being around people. I disappear when I’m due for an upgrade and I think I’ve had way too many this year that my application might be at risk of crashing and I have decided on a rollback.
A rollback is an operation which returns the application to some previous state where things last worked. Failed upgrades happen in code all the time – I put the wrong version number for this core work upgrade and sent it to the client. When the client tried to import the config and deploy to production, it caused major issues. I fixed the config file after realizing where I messed up but the client had to rollback to the version before my fixed was deployed. Once the fixed config was sent and it worked, it was a crisis averted situation. I know to never do a change like that and I would have never learned if it was not for this failed upgrade.
Code always needs to be reviewed and times change so you need to consistently work on it and compatible with the times. So is your life. Dress how you want to feel, remove outfits that are not comfortable or make you feel good about yourself and remember, much like code, if all else fails then Google or get help.