"Keeping it Fresh" with Bilal Hankins and Anna Dorigo Elixir Wizards

In Office Hours Episode 6, SmartLogic Developers Anna Dorigo and Bilal Hankins join Elixir Wizards Sundi and Dan to discuss their experiences maintaining a decade-old Ruby on Rails codebase.


They delve into the critical importance of deeply understanding the codebase, keeping dependencies current, and adapting to the original application's evolving priorities and design choices.


The conversation spans a range of topics, including accessibility, testing, monitoring, and the challenges of deploying database migrations in production environments. The guests share effective strategies for sustaining and enhancing older codebases, such as employing automated tools, performing code audits, and adhering to clean coding principles.


Key topics discussed in this episode:


Grasping the legacy codebase and its historical context
Overcoming accessibility issues in older applications
Safe dependency management and upgrades
The effects of application scaling on database performance
The critical role of comprehensive test suites in legacy systems
Using tools like Sentry for error tracking and performance monitoring
The benefits of automated security and dependency scans
Juggling client needs with budget constraints
Local simulation techniques for large datasets
The value of iterative code reviews and maintaining clean code
Utilizing git history for contextual understanding
Onboarding strategies for legacy projects
Removing obsolete code and avoiding "magic numbers"
Importance of descriptive naming for better code clarity
Leveraging a rich repository of example code for learning and reference
Proactive code audits to anticipate issues
Managing pull request sizes for smoother reviews
Communicating effectively about upgrades and potential impacts
Strategies for handling large databases efficiently
Ensuring thorough test coverage
Keeping open lines of communication with clients regarding ongoing maintenance


Links mentioned:

COBOL programming language https://developer.ibm.com/languages/cobol/
Ruby on Rails https://rubyonrails.org/
ARIA Rules (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) https://www.w3.org/TR/using-aria/
Shawn Vo on Elixir as a Competitive Advantage https://smartlogic.io/podcast/elixir-wizards/s5e5-vo/
Bundler Audit Ruby Gem https://rubygems.org/gems/bundler-audit/
Sentry application monitoring and error tracking software  https://sentry.io/
Dependabot Github automated dependency updates
Mix hex.audit https://hexdocs.pm/hex/Mx.Tasks.Hex.Audit.html
Git Blame https://git-scm.com/docs/git-blame
Cow hoof trimming videos - The Hoof GP on YouTube (TW graphic imagery)
Special Guests: Anna Dorigo and Bilal Hankins.