The cost to fix bugs after the launch of a product or service is 20+ times higher than the cost of defect in the coding stage. So tech companies adopt peer code review as the part of the software development life cycle. It means developers verify their colleagues’ code, identify potential issues, and ensure code quality.

Tech leaders claim their developers are checking the code for 12.5% of working time and making fixes — for 46%. Yet, those respondents were not always satisfied with the review results. If to face the music, you are not getting effective code reviews only because of more time spent on detecting and explaining the flaws. The clincher is to build a productive development environment.

We’ve gathered proven tips on how to do code review to promote transparent communication within a tech team and, along the way, improve deadline management in IT.

Tip #1. Clear Criteria = Clear Result

One of the code review best practices is establishing clear objectives. Before diving into a new review, understand what you need to achieve this time. Improve code structure? Detect bugs? Standardize code? Find potential security vulnerabilities? Improve the performance of a critical algorithm? Or train team members?

Define expectations. Agree on your goal with the team. Leave the abstract philosophy outside the SDLC and select the code review metrics applicable to your goals.

Discuss your expectations. Share the reasons and agenda for the check-in with the developers whose code you will review. So you will give them a chance to make a quality self-review and shorten the review flow.

Follow your criteria. Set the systemic tone for the pinpoint code review, not just its promising start.

Tip #2. Limits = Fresh Eye

We recommend you focus not only on review motives, but also set limits per one review session to keep attention focused:

• Lines of code (LOC) reviewed — up to 400;

• Time spent — up to 1 hour.

After reviewers have reached those frames, it’s easy for them to miss some necessary quality checks. You restart your computer from time to time to keep the performance on top, right? The same here.

Tip #3. Code Review Tools = Speed

The top-6 widespread software solutions which contribute to building the best practices for code review (according to JetBrains statistics) are GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket, AzureDevops, Crucible, and Gerrit.

Select a code review tool that aligns with your team's workflow, frameworks, and requirements. There are various options available, ranging from standalone tools like Review Board, Gerrit, and Crucible to integrated solutions like GitHub and GitLab.

Learn if the tool allows you to operate with handy features, which reduce human reviewing and make the codebase more consistent.

• Inline comments, code differencing, and integration with version control systems or your preferred IDEs for developers allow you to save time for switching between the interfaces.

• Automated checking and linters catch common coding errors and enforce coding standards.

Use the code review tool to document decisions, discussions, and feedback. That helps developers to refer to previous reviews and maintain a transparent development process.

Tip #4. Code Review Guideline = Progress Bar

Best practices for code review are those with the roadmap. When you have a SOP, you can track and regulate each action, and your team has a cheat sheet and stimulus to move on.

There are 2 types of guidelines you can implement.

• A standardized script for a reviewer. It looks like an action chain: reviewers check if the code is too long, counting lines of code. Then, they look at cyclomatic complexity to test if the code has too many branches and needs unifying. Only after that, they measure code coverage to find untested areas.

• A standardized code review cycle. The format is the same as with the script, for example, the author submits his code after the self-review. Then the code goes through the automatic check-up. After that the first reviewer assumes what to improve, only then the second reviewer makes his conclusions.

Tip #5. Human Attitude = Commitment

You can maintain team morale, and encourage openness and kind mentoring, only if you take care of a healthy review culture. Here are 4 main definitions of that healthy.

Encourage empathy and respect. Give constructive feedback, focusing on the code rather than the person who wrote it.

Let reviewers feel free to ask questions, seek clarifications, and engage in open discussions with the code author.

Celebrate achievements. Appreciate the efforts of developers when they implement suggested improvements.

Add real-time events to asynchronous communication in tech teams to make sure that everything is going according to the plan.

Tip #6. The Right Feedback = Fewer Iterations

It’s easier to address specific and actionable feedback rather than vague comments. Signs of quality feedback:

• It doesn’t provoke why-questions, as the reasons for suggestions are explained;

• The tone of voice is respective (remember about human attitude);

• The code author knows how to dispute controversial suggestions, as you’ve agreed on the procedure of regulating conflicts in advance.

Tip # 7. Multiple Reviewers = Balanced Decisions

When each reviewer brings a unique vision, the code evaluation becomes comprehensive. So how to encourage multiple reviewers?

Assign dedicated reviewers for each code review. Let it be a standard task, not an option. Feeling personal responsibility, developers will review the code more meticulously.

Rotate the reviewers periodically to prevent reviewer bias and promote knowledge sharing. That allows different team members to gain exposure to various parts of the codebase and broadens their understanding of the project as a whole.

Conduct team-wide reviews to promote collective ownership, cover more possible issues and foster complex changes.

Nice, if you invite the developers with contrasting expertise and experience. Their unique programming experience and versatile tasks in their track record give you confidence that your code review best practice is considered relevant in the global tech world.

Tip #8. Regular Learning = Fewer Fixes

You may think of code review as a habit to upskill and grow professionally, when:

• It is not limited to bug-fixing, and developers share their insights and alternative coding techniques, provide explanations and guidance on how to enhance code quality;

• It includes retrospectives, as when the team members reflect on the code review process together, they find ways to improve the reviews, hence the code, over time

Arranging Code Reviews: Who is Responsible?

Often, a developer may initiate the investigation to cope with the controversies. To avoid reviewing the similar issues and make the most out of your check-ups, you need to assign the managing code review cycle to a dedicated person or a team.

The main idea is to find an administrator who can orchestrate the review pipeline and has a solid understanding of coding. A reliable solution is to consider arranging code reviews and overall review of software development process as a part of the Tech Lead duties. If you are not ready to dive deep into the HR activities and administrative side of employment process, you can book talent management services and EOR services. Outstaff Your Team will gladly find you a Team Lead with a proven skill to structure code review flow!

Arranging code reviews means asking the right questions at each stage. Here we share the backbone of the code review practices, which tech specialists should stick to.

Code Review Checklist

Stage

PLANNING

Questions

1. What goal do we want to achieve?

2. What code review metrics do we need to exploit according to our purposes?

3. Which code review platform suits our project?

4. How should we build a review pipeline?

5. Who to choose as reliable code reviewers, taking into account both technical expertise and communication skills?

6. Are all the engaged developers aware of the general review standards and custom requirements for a particular check-up?

IN PROGRESS

Questions

1. Are all the participants following the pipeline?

2. How much time does it take to finish each stage?

3. Are the proposed solutions reusable?

AFTERTASTE

Questions

1. Do we keep the code review results accessible for newcomers joining the company?

2. Do developers repeat the same patterns?

3. How can we improve the code review?

Code Review Motivation

Best code review practices reflect Agile team principles, like personal responsibility for the result and striving to become a better developer than yesterday. First, organize the code review for personal growth. The received feedback helps your team members grow, adapt to new coding techniques, and stay up-to-date with industry best practices.

Frankly, business owners can highlight even more benefits of code review than reducing the price for bug fixing.

• Reliable reputation in the market. Early debugging is about improving user experience and getting positive word-of-mouth.

• Successful search for tech talent and lower developer turnover rate, as you invite them to join a dream team that boosts tech expertise for sure, not randomly.

Keep in mind, using high-quality code created by a productive and cohesive team is a strong foundation for software development success. Sounds like a part of your plan to become a tech unicorn faster, right?

FAQ

by Kateryna Balakyreva
on July 11, 2023. Share on LinkedIn Post on Twitter

Kateryna joined the IT industry 3 years ago. Reviewing B2B software and related frameworks, she concluded that the best-in-class programs need well-built teams and started to write about tech teams scaling. Her natural habit to improve texts and search for alternative visions comes from working at the publishing house in early youth.