Summary of the Blog
The article emphasizes that code reviews are not just about finding mistakes but are primarily about improving code quality, spreading knowledge across the team, and building better, more maintainable software.
- Code reviews help maintain consistent coding standards across a project.
- They foster team learning, as developers can see different approaches to solving problems.
- Good code reviews catch potential bugs and architectural flaws early, preventing costly fixes later.
- Reviews create a sense of shared ownership over the codebase, leading to more sustainable, long-term development.
He also stresses that code reviews should be approached positively, focusing on collaboration rather than criticism. The goal is to help, not to criticize harshly, and reviewers should offer suggestions rather than simply pointing out what’s wrong.
Why I Chose This Resource
I chose this blog because it reads as someone who actually has been through the experience of not doing them and realizing the hard way why they exist and are used regularly. It’s a resource that goes through the whole process of code reviews, but the added element of feeling that the person writing it actually understands why the thing they are explaining is useful makes it feel a lot more credible. It also just makes it easier and more interesting to read in my opinion.
Personal Reflection
Messy codebases can lead to immense technical debt over time, and code reviews are the solution. Of course it would be great to simply adhere to the rules and standards set by the group to avoid the sloppiness in the first place, but the code reviews are necessary to ensure that if there is messy code it doesn’t make it into the production branch, like a last defense. The steps laid out in the blog create a healthy environment to improve the code being reviewed, while also being respectful in the manner it is done. The checklist of standards to go over during the review makes sense and is the base of keeping everything “correct”, but it pleasantly surprised me when they mentioned the correct way to communicate the changes. Most people wouldn’t think about how they mention the changes found, but this blog states the correct way, even showing examples, which takes into account respect for the developer as well as being descriptive / informative with the comment.
Conclusion
This blog made me understand why code reviews are important. Before reading I thought similarly to the author that code reviews are a waste of time and just some bureaucratic process, but now I see that the time spent on making all of the code cohesive and adhere to coding standards actually saves a lot of time in the long run from fixing bugs and reading sloppy code.
Citation
Kravcenko, V. (n.d.). The Importance of Code Reviews. Retrieved from https://vadimkravcenko.com/shorts/code-reviews/
From the blog CS@Worcester – The Science of Computation by Adam Jacher and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.