Code reviews are an essential part of the software development process, however, knowing when to start your code reviews can significantly affect their effectiveness. This guide explores the optimal timing for code reviews and the best practices to implement them so your teams can maximize their benefits.
Why code review matters
Before diving into when to start code reviews, it’s important to understand why code review is important. Code reviews help:
- Improve code quality: They identify bugs, design flaws, and other issues early in the development cycle.
- Share knowledge: Team members learn from each other, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Maintain coding standards: Reviews ensure that code adheres to established guidelines, improving maintainability.
- Enhance team collaboration: Regular reviews encourage communication among team members and promote shared ownership of code.
Understanding these benefits helps teams recognize the importance of not just conducting code reviews, but also starting them at the right time.
When code review should be done
The timing of code reviews can significantly influence their outcomes. Here are several key moments when code reviews should be done:
- After feature completion
When a developer completes a new feature, it’s an excellent time for a code review. This allows the reviewer to understand the context of the feature and evaluate its implementation before it is merged into the main branch.
- Before merging to the main branch
It’s important to have code reviewed before merging into the main branch. This ensures that only quality code is integrated into the main codebase and deployed to production.
- Regular intervals during long-running branches
For features that take an extended period to develop, consider conducting regular code reviews throughout the development process. This approach helps in identifying issues early and reduces the likelihood of significant rewrites later.
- When adopting new technologies or frameworks
If a team is integrating new technologies or frameworks, conducting code reviews during this phase can help ensure that everyone understands and applies the new standards correctly.
When to do code reviews
Knowing when to do code reviews also involves considering factors such as team capacity, project deadlines, and workflow. Here are some recommendations:
- Shortly after code completion: Aim to initiate reviews shortly after code completion while the context is still fresh in the developer's mind. This timing ensures accurate feedback and better discussions.
- Before important deadlines: Schedule reviews ahead of significant project milestones to ensure that all changes are validated before release.
- Avoiding bottlenecks: Encourage developers to submit code for review as soon as they complete a logical segment of work. Delaying reviews can lead to bottlenecks, affecting overall project timelines.
Integrating Graphite into your code review process
Using tools like Graphite can enhance your code review workflow. A key feature that Graphite offers is the pull request inbox, which functions much like an email client for your PRs. It helps you stay organized and provides a clear overview of which PRs need attention.
This ensures reviewers stay on top of the code review process, unblocking code authors by keeping time to first review low.
Graphite automatically creates six default inbox sections to keep your workflow organized:
- Needs your review
- Approved
- Returned to you
- Merging and recently merged
- Drafts
- Waiting for review
You can also fully customize the PR inbox by adding your own sections, filtering by reviewer, file types, directory, and more.
Graphite also includes a robust search feature for finding PRs across your synced repositories. The search bar, accessible via the web app or with the cmd + k shortcut, supports fuzzy search for PR titles, descriptions, authors, and more, making it easy to locate the PRs you're looking for.
Combining intuitive organization features, robust search functionality, and seamless automation, Graphite helps ensure that your code review process remains efficient and scalable.
Key takeaways
By conducting reviews after feature completion, before merging, during long development cycles, and when adopting new technologies, teams can ensure timely and constructive feedback. Integrating tools like Graphite into your process can further enhance both productivity and code quality, so your teams stay on track and can focus on doing what they do best: building high-quality software.