Sometimes a small change in the code base leads to a surprisingly long build. From the user’s point of view it can be unclear why some changes are processed in seconds and others require minutes to compile. In many cases the reason is simple. A change in one module affects other modules that depend on it, so they also need to be recompiled, which can result in a cascading effect and affect a large part of the project. This information is mostly hidden behind text logs that are hard to read and hard to connect with the project structure. The build just takes much longer than usual, and there is no clear explanation why.

The goal of this project is to make this visible. During the build, the IDE should show which modules are being compiled, which ones are skipped, and how changes in one module trigger recompilation of others. This should help users understand what the build is doing right now and why it takes the time it takes.

• Basic knowledge of Kotlin and the JVM ecosystem

• Conceptual understanding of what the build system is

• Ability to read and navigate existing codebases

• Interest in developer experience, tooling, and build system

• Clear communication of findings and design decisions (short docs, diagrams, or examples)