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Summarize non-obvious methods file by file in a paper project

A commenter had Claude Code write file-by-file summaries of non-obvious methods in a research project, then reviewed them to keep track of the work.

Done withClaude Code

What they did
A commenter used Claude Code while rewriting personal projects from their own earlier, messier versions and making later incremental upgrades. They had Claude produce a brief file-by-file summary plus notes on any non-obvious methods, then reread those notes multiple times and edited explanations they felt could be clearer to keep the project understandable and useful for later model runs.
How it went
They said it helped them keep a mental map of the codebase and understand how it worked overall. It was not complete: they still lost track of some parts.
Worth knowing
The source says this was done over the last two weeks, and it worked best because the project began as their own code with most logic preserved.

Try it yourself with Claude Code

Go through the files in [project folder] one by one and write a short summary of each, focusing on the non-obvious methods, assumptions, or tricks it uses. Save them as a single document called [filename] with a section per file. Don't change any code; when done, list the three parts you're least sure about so I can review them.

Read the original ↗

Source: Reddit · Aug 29, 2026

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