Comment by gosub100

> Do you just remember every type and field in a codebase?

I type 'make' and let the compiler show me where the definitions fail. Often it will suggest the valid options. Opening the header in another buffer or window also helps.

I value semantic correctness first and don't get distracted by syntax errors if I'm in deep concentration. Conversely, I often make small changes when I anticipate a compiler error so I will know exactly where it came from, fix it (often by trial and error) and move on.