Reviewing changes

Before making big changes, like merging into the main branch or releasing an update to the public, developers perform a code review that involves systematically examining all code changes. This collaborative process involves one or more reviewers carefully inspecting the code for potential issues, such as bugs, vulnerabilities, and adherence to coding standards.

Code review offers several benefits in the software development process, including:

• Improved Code Quality: Code review helps identify and fix bugs, logic errors, and coding issues early in the development process. Reviewers can provide valuable feedback, suggest improvements, and ensure that the code is clean, efficient, and adheres to coding standards. This leads to higher-quality code and reduces the likelihood of bugs and issues in the final product.
• Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration: Code review promotes knowledge sharing among team members. Reviewers have the opportunity to understand different approaches and techniques used by their peers, learn from each other's expertise, and share best practices. This collaboration fosters a culture of learning, improves the skills of individual developers, and strengthens the overall capability of the team.
• Error and Bug Detection: Code review acts as an additional layer of defense against errors and bugs. Reviewers can spot potential issues that may have been overlooked by the original developer, such as edge cases, input validation problems, or performance bottlenecks. By catching these problems early, code review helps prevent them from propagating further in the development process.
• Consistency and Adherence to Standards: Code review ensures consistency in coding style and adherence to coding standards across the development team. Reviewers can identify deviations from established guidelines, suggest improvements, and enforce best practices. This results in code that is easier to read, understand, and maintain, especially when multiple developers are working on the same project.
• Continuous Learning and Growth: Code review provides an opportunity for developers to receive feedback on their code, learn from their mistakes, and improve their skills. By actively participating in the code review process, developers gain insights into different coding techniques, architectural patterns, and industry best practices. This continuous learning and growth contribute to the professional development of individual developers and the overall improvement of the development team.

In summary, code review makes teams and products stronger.

But even with all of these benefits, code review is often neglected because team members are busy with other tasks and feel it is time-consuming. That’s where pull requests come in.