Large projects often involve numerous pull requests (PRs) competing for attention, making code review prioritization essential. Without a clear strategy, reviews can become bottlenecks, slowing the development process and increasing the risk of bugs. This guide explains how to prioritize code reviews effectively in large projects, leveraging techniques like triage and tools such as Graphite's PR Inbox.
Why prioritize code reviews?
Effective prioritization guarantees:
- Timely merges: Critical PRs are merged without delays.
- Reduced context switching: Developers focus on high-impact reviews.
- Improved code quality: Reviews align with project priorities and standards.
Strategies for prioritization
1. Define priority criteria
Establish criteria to categorize PRs by their importance and urgency:
- Critical fixes: Bug fixes or hotfixes that unblock releases.
- High-impact features: Changes that deliver significant value or meet deadlines.
- Dependency blockers: PRs that other work depends on.
For example, a bug fix for a production issue should take precedence over a refactor PR.
2. Implement code review triage
Triage involves systematically evaluating PRs to decide their order of review:
- Review the description for context and impact.
- Assess the lines of code (LOC) to gauge effort.
- Check dependencies, ensuring blockers are prioritized.
3. Leverage Graphite's PR Inbox for prioritization
Graphite's PR Inbox acts as a central hub for managing and prioritizing pull requests. Features that support prioritization include:
- Custom sections: Group PRs into categories like "needs urgent review" or "dependency blockers" by creating tailored sections.
- Search and filters: Use fuzzy search and filters to identify high-priority PRs based on title, author, or tags.
- Inbox sections: Pre-configured categories such as "Needs your review" streamline attention to pending reviews.
For example, you can create a custom section for PRs tagged with "critical" and reorder it to appear at the top of your inbox.
4. Use team-based prioritization
In large projects, involve team leads or architects to help prioritize. Teams can create shared filters in Graphite for consistent prioritization across the team.
Steps to share filters:
- Configure a section in the PR inbox with the desired filters.
- Generate a shareable link and distribute it among teammates.
- Ensure teammates integrate the section into their inbox for aligned priorities.
5. Simplify notifications
Enable notifications for critical PRs to ensure they are addressed promptly. Graphite's Notifications feature can integrate with Slack or email to alert teams about priority reviews.
Example: Triaging PRs with Graphite
Consider a scenario where a team is managing PRs for a major product launch:
- A bug fix PR tagged as "hotfix" appears in the "Needs your review" section.
- A feature PR tagged as "high-priority" is identified via a custom section.
- Lower-priority refactor PRs are left in the "Waiting for review" section.
Using Graphite, the team configures filters to show "hotfix" PRs at the top of their inbox, ensuring immediate attention to critical issues.
Tips for effective prioritization
- Limit PR size: Encourage developers to create smaller, focused PRs.
- Automate checks: Use automated tests and linters to pre-validate code, reducing manual effort.
- Monitor metrics: Track review times and feedback loops using tools like Graphite Insights.
By following these strategies and leveraging tools like Graphite's PR Inbox, teams can efficiently manage code reviews in large projects while maintaining high standards of quality and delivery speed.