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Where I have worked I am semi famous for a style of code review which almost exclusively is based on asking questions. A lot of the questions are around design
by kikoreis 8y ago
Where I have worked I am semi famous for a style of code review which almost exclusively is based on asking questions. A lot of the questions are around design rationale, because the "why" is often not captured. Questions can either lead to code changing, "oh, you're right, that doesn't make sense" or "missed that!" , or a comment being added to ensure the rationale is captured. Developers seem to really appreciate this type of review, in contrast to the style you have outlined.
- Aeolun 8y ago“This is wrong. Please do the needful!” - Anonymous code reviewer
- kangax 8y agoThis is such an underrated comment. I love this style of code reviews and it's the one I've experienced best discussions with. It goes in line with assuming that you, as a reviewer, don't know what the intentions/rationale are rather than blindly dictating your solution. A lot of times the reviewer that says "this is wrong" is then explained to why it was done a certain way and is the one proven wrong. Questioning yourself as a reviewer is always a good idea. Asking questions gives feedback without coming off aggressive/judgemental/patronizing.
- sclangdon 8y agoI do something similar. I try to start most of my comments with "What would happen if...". I find that people are more responsive if they work through it themselves rather than if I'd said "X is wrong, you should have done Y".
- fatnoah 8y agoThis is essentially what I do. While I do note some obvious "bad things" I'm usually trying to understand the code and the thought process behind it. The result is usually a) me learning something b) better documented code and c) the occasional code change resulting from the aforementioned "missed that" or "that makes sense" moments.
- oxplot 8y agoSocratic method style.