All the more important to read the datasheets and learn by so doing.
What I meant above is, for example … the circ designer uses old Fairchild trans with a pinout CBE, and you buy the board but your trans are Intersil and pinout is BCE — yet you have the same exact product-type #/designation “2N40XY2” (
Fictitious, btw) … So, still a good idea to read datasheets and you’ll soon get the hang of understanding what you need from them.
Then again, I know there are long-time
successful builders that have never read a datasheet in their life.
Just find what works for you.