Where are some good starting points for modernizing and improving a legacy codebase? Joel and Aaron discuss a few ideas where you could start.

Sign up for our Laravel tips newsletter!

Does anyone read these? Tweet @jclermont if you see this.

The eternal question that every developer hears: How long is that going to take? Aaron and Joel discuss some ways to frame that question, and how to provide an estimate that will avoid unnecessary disappointment.

• 00:00 Accurate estimates can be difficult
• 02:00 Disconnect between a developer and a stakeholder
• 03:00 How Aaron approaches an estimate
• 06:05 Pad the estimate? Ranges?
• 07:38 The importance of open communication
• 08:12 Translating "hours" into real world time
• 09:50 Planning not pricing
• 11:56 Silly bit

Sign up for our weekly newsletter of Laravel tips.

Stepping into an unfamiliar codebase with a long history can be a challenge. Aaron and Joel share some tips on how to get started and build confidence that you're making things better.

• 00:00 What is a "legacy" code base?
• 01:00 Getting those first tests in a legacy code base
• 03:05 Starting with unit tests can be hard
• 04:20 Be extra careful with external APIs
• 07:15 Onboarding a new project
• 08:35 Getting more specific on the first few tests
• 10:38 Silly bit

Sign up for our newsletter of Laravel tips.

Some shy away from code review, not wanting to be critiqued. Aaron and Joel share some tips on how to get the most out of code reviews, and things to look for as a code reviewer.

• 00:00 The value of a code review process
• 02:53 Look at it as a learning opportunity
• 04:06 Approaching a pull request to review it
• 06:05 Should we make this better?
• 07:00 Did the programmer have a reason for what they did?
• 09:05 Everyone on the team should get their code reviewed
• 10:25 Silly bit

Aaron and Joel talk about why they write tests and what sorts of tests they find valuable.

• 00:00 Why do we write tests?
• 03:05 Implied trust in packages
• 04:15 What do you test? How do you write them?
• 06:30 Testing the happy path
• 07:05 Testing the "unhappy" paths
• 08:12 It's less work than you think
• 11:30 Testing a dumb mistake with range validators
• 14:40 Silly bit

We discuss a couple scenarios where there's more than one way to do something, and how we think through our decision.

• 00:00 How to pick what file to put this code in?
• 01:51 An example of a single-action controller
• 03:15 Should everything be single-action?
• 04:58 How many methods on a controller is too many?
• 06:10 Where do you put authorization logic?
• 08:00 Consistency is important
• 08:45 Silly bit

How do you learn a new technology? Or how do you find out what's changed in the latest version of something you already use? Aaron and Joel share some tips on what they do.

• 00:00 So many new things to learn
• 00:56 Importance of reading docs
• 02:00 Reading versus doing
• 03:45 Be curious when reading
• 05:20 How to get hands-on practice
• 07:30 Learning a new release of an existing tool
• 10:15 Improve the docs!
• 12:15 Silly bit

Exercises for Programmers from Pragmatic Press

The technologies we work with are extremely detailed. Without a clear mental model of how things work together, it's easy to get lost or confused.

• 00:00 A common pattern when a dev is stuck
• 01:12 What is a "mental model"?
• 02:15 A concrete example of a mental model
• 04:30 Discussing rebase versus merge
• 06:30 A PHP specific example for rebase
• 07:40 Mental models for queue workers
• 10:10 Open source helps us understand
• 11:30 Silly bit

Disagreements and debate can sap your team's energy. We'll talk about some ways to avoid unnecessary conflicts, and how to successfully handle a difference of opinion on your team.

• 00:00 Developers want the "one true way" to do something
• 01:45 Handling a difference of opinion
• 02:33 Staying consistent within a project
• 03:44 Using tools to help consistency
• 06:00 Document your project standards
• 07:37 Keep an open mind
• 11:01 Choose your battles wisely
• 12:25 Involve the whole team in the discussion
• 13:05 Silly bit

Croissants are great because they're flaky, but no one likes a flaky test. We share some strategies on how to make your tests more reliable.

• 00:00 Flaky tests are the worst
• 02:12 Why randomization can lead to flaky tests
• 03:10 A guideline on when to avoid randomization
• 05:10 Trying to predict the future?
• 06:15 Naming can be a guide
• 07:15 Use factory states
• 08:00 Another type of flaky test
• 11:15 Silly bit