How to Code Review

Things to do before starting a code review, best practices on how to do a code review, and things to be mindful of. What to check before submitting your code review. How to avoid long discussions and conflict when doing peer review.

Brainstorming over paper by Scott Graham

TL;DR

I’m a developer, so of course I wrote a checklist:

• Check that the code can be built and deployed.
• Define the scope and intent of the code you are reviewing.
• Check that the code fulfills the intent
• Ensure all comments and discussions are related to maintainability, performance, or functionality.
• Spell-check your comments and remove any unnecessary information.
• Have discussions in person or over a call, and only write down the summary
• Let the author know if they can merge the code.

Introduction

All companies and organisations that I’ve worked for recognise the value of peer reviews. They praise it in company-wide all-hands meetings. They make it an obligatory part of the software development process. They encourage everyone to give candid feedback as often as…