It's feasible to know the shape of the current field, so you know where to drill deeper for more information if you want it. For example, you have a file in one

It's feasible to know the shape of the current field, so you know where to drill deeper for more information if you want it. For example, you have a file in one format and you want it in another one... if that doesn't make the word 'compiler' or at least 'parser' pop up, you need some more education. You probably don't know everything about compilers, but you can search for information about compilers and find out enough to get by. The thing to avoid is becoming a person of one book, or a person of one tool, where you know one thing and only one thing, and you experience deep anxiety when you're out of your (one, singular) comfort zone. Being an expert in everything is impossible, but being an expert in one thing with no knowledge of anything else is definitely something to avoid.