The Benefits of Code Reviews

The Benefits of Code Reviews

Code reviews are a vital practice in software development where developers collaboratively examine each other’s code. This essential process not only enhances code quality but also fosters knowledge sharing among team members and improves overall team dynamics.

How do code reviews work?

The code review process involves two key roles:

Code Author: The individual responsible for creating the code being reviewed.
Reviewer: The person tasked with examining the code and providing feedback, both positive and constructive.

When a developer completes work on a particular issue, the reviewer(s) will closely inspect the code, asking critical questions, such as:

  1. Are there any obvious logical errors in the code?
  2. Does the code fully meet the specified requirements?
  3. Does it conform to existing style guidelines and coding standards?
  4. Could the code introduce performance issues or security vulnerabilities?
  5. Are there adequate automated tests for the new code, and do existing tests need updates?


2018 State of Code Review report by smartbear.com


Key benefits of code reviews

While the specific advantages can vary based on the software project, several common benefits typically arise from implementing code reviews:

  • Higher Code Quality: Code reviews prevent poor code and bugs from accumulating, leading to consistently high-quality software.
  • Early Bug Detection: Identifying and fixing issues promptly minimizes regressions and delays
  • Shared Code Ownership: The entire team takes responsibility for code quality, rather than just the author.
  • Faster Knowledge Sharing: Code reviews facilitate rapid knowledge transfer within development teams, especially benefiting junior developers.
  • Improved Codebase Familiarity: Developers gain a deeper understanding of the entire project codebase.
  • Seamless Integration: New code from junior developers integrates smoothly, thanks to the ongoing review process.

Essential tools for effective code reviews

Collaborative code reviews via pull requests (or similar features) are becoming the standard for integrating changes among both local and geographically distributed development teams. While pull requests are popular, various specialized tools can enhance the code review process:

Pull Request-based tools:

GitLab: Utilizes merge requests for code review.

GitHub: The pioneer of the ‘pull request’ feature.

Bitbucket: Provides a centralized platform for project planning, code collaboration, testing, and deployment.

Specialized tools:

Azure DevOps: Offers comprehensive functionalities, including requirement management, planning, code management via Git, test management, build/release pipelines- and more.

Crucible: An Atlassian on-premise collaborative code review tool.

Collaborator: A peer code review and document review tool by SmartBear.

Upsource: JetBrains’ on-premise tool for reviewing Git, Mercurial, Perforce, and SVN code.

Phabricator: An open-source code review tool for Git, Mercurial, and SVN, originally developed by Facebook.



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Why implement code reviews

While automated tools can handle many quality checks – code style analyzers, test coverage, metrics for software quality, impact analysis, and more – manual testing and continuous integration remain essential. Automation has limitations, which is why code reviews are crucial, especially in agile teams. By decentralizing work, no single person holds authority over specific code sections. Code reviews foster knowledge sharing across the codebase and among team members.

Optimizing the code review process

Yes, code reviews require time, but this investment pays off significantly. Here are some tips to streamline the process:

  • Use Tools and Timeboxing: Leverage collaborative tools to streamline discussions and implement timeboxing to keep reviews focused.
  • Limit Code Chunk Size: Keep reviews to around 400 lines of code (LOC) to maximize defect detection.
  • Select the Right Reviewers: Choose reviewers with relevant expertise without overloading them, as too many reviewers can hinder bug detection.
  • Provide Clear Comments: Include comments in the code to highlight changes, explain decisions, and direct reviewers to specific areas.
  • Automate Where Possible: Use code analysis tools, linters, and quality checkers to handle clear-cut tasks, allowing reviewers to focus on complex analyses.

Humanizing the code review process

When conducting code reviews, it’s essential to understand the rationale behind changes. Here are some best practices for maintaining a constructive atmosphere:

  • Communicate Ideas Clearly: Share which concepts you feel strongly about and those you don’t.
  • Ask Thoughtful Questions: Frame inquiries in a collaborative manner (e.g., “What do you think about naming this user_id?”).
  • Simplify Where Possible: Identify ways to streamline code while addressing the problem.
  • Seek Clarification: If something is unclear, ask for more information.
  • Keep Discussions Productive: Move philosophical discussions offline to maintain focus on the task at hand.
  • Offer Alternatives Respectfully: Provide alternative implementations while assuming the author has already considered them.
  • Seek to Understand: Try to appreciate the author’s perspective without hyperbole.
  • Conclude Positively: End the review with an encouraging sign-off, such as a thumbs-up or “Ready to merge” comment.

Key takeways on the benefits of code reviews

Everyone makes mistakes – it’s part of being human. Early detection through code reviews is crucial for preventing costly fixes later on, making a code review program essential for high-quality software development. Code reviews are crucial for high-quality software development, ensuring early detection of issues and fostering collaboration among developers.

NetRom Software’s key focus is delivering high quality software solutions, build longterm relationships with our clients while doing so and continuously contribute to innovation goals. Code review plays a large role in this from a technical perspective. We are happy to discuss this in more detail at any time.