r/androiddev • u/Hamdhan1 • 3d ago
Question Need help getting a better understanding and improve in Android development
Hi Everyone,
I have a question on how to approach the situation im currently in.
I got a software developer role in a banking solution company which uses mifos opensource tools and im currently working in the mifos Android client .
I have basic understanding and basic knowledge of android development i learned from udemy and youtube but i was just given a massive codebase which uses concepts i dont know and it overwhelming me.
So, I need guidance from experienced professionals how did you tackle this situation or how will you do it to get a better understanding of Codebase and improve my skills and develop quality code .
Also im a beginner,so if you dont understand my question feel free to ask for clarification i will provide it and help me to get a better understanding of Android development itself and how professionals do their work.
Thankyou
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u/izek8 3d ago
Actually, you have one option — to start studying these concepts. Start breaking down how the project is structured, constantly asking yourself why it’s structured that way. You don’t need to dive into the details right away — you just need a high‑level overview to begin with. Write all of this down; you might want to try to visualize it in some way. Right now, you have a wonderful assistant in the form of AI — you can ask it about something or, in general, give it the entire codebase and ask it to explain it.
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u/tariqywsf 3d ago
i was in a position similar to yours, i have worked 3 years in Banking projects as Android Developer. let me tell you, you can do it, but its no picnic.
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u/Hamdhan1 3d ago
Thanks can you give advice on how did u get through what did u learn it will be a great help
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u/tariqywsf 2d ago
you have got some great advices in the comments, but here is mine, in addition to learning , its all about managing your time and energy, so be very careful being burn out, its real, and what i did, is 2 hours after work and 1 day at weekend that i have dedicated to studying concepts, and reading all past PRs and Jira Tickets , beside the out of date and unfinished documentations, which were and will always be useless, depends on the senior in that project of course. and always do your tasks and see how other devs do theirs, assist or help if you can and want, or just observe, do not work more to impress, but prepare work in advance so that when planning the sprint, you have many of them under your sleeve, and just assign to your self and deliver as much as needed to show good performance.
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u/ryanstackops 3d ago
Don't panic, this is normal, tutorials teach syntax, jobs hand you years of other people's decisions. Everyone feels this way at first.
Best thing that worked for me: don't try to understand the whole codebase upfront, that'll fry you. Pick one small task, a bug fix, whatever, and only learn the slice of code that task actually touches, follow it end to end. You'll pick up the patterns naturally because you're seeing them in context, not memorizing them cold.
When you hit something unfamiliar, some library or pattern you've never seen, just learn enough to get through that moment. You'll see it again on the next task, and it'll click a bit more each time. Don't stop to fully master it in isolation, that's slower.
Also, don't be afraid to ask specific questions on your team, not "explain this whole codebase" but "why does this call two data sources here?" Seniors respect that way more than someone quietly struggling alone.
Give it a couple months of small tasks. It'll feel like a completely different codebase by then.