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10 BEST PRACTICES FORPEER CODE REVIEW



1. Review Fewer Than 400 Lines Of Code At A Time

• Reviewing 200-400 lines of code over 60 to 90 minutes, should yield 70-90% defect discovery.

• Reading beyond 400 lines of code, the ability to find defects diminishes



2. Aim For An Inspection Rate Of Less Than 300-500 Lines Of Code Per Hour

Code reviews that happen in a reasonable quantity and at a slower pace for a limited amount of time results in the most effective code review.



3. Do Not Review For More Than 60 Minutes At A Time

• Performance starts dropping off after about 60 minutes of work – reviewers wear out and stop finding defects.

• Studies show that taking breaks over a period of time can improve the quality of work.


4. Authors Should Annotate Source Code Before The Review Begin

• Annotations should be directed at other reviewers to ease the process and provide more depth in context.

• As an added benefit, the author will often find additional errors before the peer review even begins.

• More bugs found prior to peer review will yield in lower defect density because fewer bugs exist overall.



5. Set Quantifiable Goals & Capture Metrics To Improve Processes

• Decide in advance the goals of the code review process and how you will effectively measure them.

• Include internal process metrics such as inspection rate, defect rate, and defect density.


6. Use A Checklist For Both Reviewers & Authors

Checklists are the most effective way to eliminate frequently made errors and to combat the challenges of omission finding.


7. Establish A Process For Fixing Defects Found

To ensure that bugs get fixed, use a collaborative code review tool that allows reviewers to log bugs, discuss them with the author and approve changes.


8. Foster A Positive Code Review Culture

• In order for peer code review to be successful, it’s extremely important that mangers create a culture of collaboration and learning in peer review.

• Peer review also allows junior team members to learn from senior leaders and for even the most experienced programmers to break bad habits.

http://blog.smartbear.com/code-review/developing-a-culture-of-mentorship-with-code-review/




9. Embrace The Subconscious Implications Of Peer Review

• "Spot checking" 20% to 33% of the code resulted in lower defect density with minimal time expenditure.

• Lessen the likelihood of the “Big Brother” effect by using metrics & reports to help improve a developers work


10. Practice Lightweight Code Reviews

• To fully optimize your team´s time and to effectively measure its results, a lightweight, tool-assisted process is recommended.

• Lightweight code review takes less than 20% the time of formal reviews and finds just as many bugs


With the right tools and best practices, your team can peer

review all of your code!

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