Documenting and Mapping Legacy Architecture
Before changing any legacy Objective-C code, you must understand what you have. This lesson teaches you to systematically document and map an inherited codebase so modernization decisions rest on facts, not guesses.
Why Map Before You Touch
Legacy Objective-C projects accumulate years of undocumented decisions. Mapping the architecture first prevents you from breaking hidden dependencies.
- Reveals coupling between modules
- Surfaces dead code and unused classes
- Builds a shared mental model for the team
Inventory the Targets
Start with the build settings. List every target, scheme, and configuration. A single legacy app often hides several targets sharing source files.
Note which files belong to which target to avoid surprises when you refactor.
All lessons in this course
- Understanding Old Project Structures
- Identifying Common Legacy Patterns
- Strategies for Code Modernization
- Documenting and Mapping Legacy Architecture