I think I'm in somewhat of a unique situation: I have a decent amount of coding experience in C/C++ in a Linux environment. However, I don't really have "project experience." For example, I'm familiar with the concept of version control, but I've never used any. Or, i've never worked on a project with more than a half dozen source files.
So, where I am now is that I'm working on this project with a large amount of code already existing. I have to write all my code in a windows environment using Visual Studio 2008 (Visual C++ to be specific) So I have a few questions:
How do integrate the already existing code into VC++? I'm using tortoise SVN and I have all the code on my machine...
Does anyone have any general advice on moving from small projects to larger projects?
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated
Creating a comprehensive scope, a well-balanced and highly skilled team, and a realistic timeline are the most important steps to building a successful project. These three points will be your project's North Star going forward.
Some of the keys to coming to grips with a large codebase:
grep
and the like (ack is a variant that is very suitable for code spelunking), and CTAGS if you swing that (C/C++) way.printf()
-like statements, becoming more familiar with your debugger, or even learning the ins and outs of your language (e.g. the corner cases of the type system/object model) can be helpful in unwinding these complex issues.Unfortunately, I haven't used Visual Studio, but I think getting to know your IDE's project import/migration flow will be instructive too. Maybe somebody else will chime in with more concrete advice on that front. The process can be onerous, especially if you had a non-standard custom build system before and you want everything to be done The One True Visual Studio Way henceforth, but the tools for automatic dependence extraction from code are getting better and better.
The ideas already given are very good. But you also might want to read Mike Gunderloy's Coder to Developer. From your description of your current experience, I think you'll find it useful. Also read The Pragmatic Programmer; I keep it in my office by my desk, and often find myself loaning it to younger developers.
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