How do they make Verilog code for unknown ICs?

So far, it's been great. I'm just finishing up some of the analog stuff on that same site, and I've greedily skipped ahead a bit to digital. However, I'm just now getting to TTLs and gates. I have to actually write out examples or test things physically to really "get it". However, I'm just plodding along. I have a nice little mess happening on my workbench in the garage. I'm about to move on past just using simple capacitors, resistors, and diodes to using some ICs. It's a little intimidating, actually. I thought I could get to the point I'm at now in about two weeks. It actually took about five or six weeks (just for an analog refresher). I'm still a bit shaky on some of that stuff, too. It's hard to test/see everything. So, some things I just read about, shrug, and keep going.

-Swift