Pros And Cons Of Software Code Reviews
Every piece of software can be improved by a code review. How these are actually done successfully depends on many things. Here’s a review of an excellent overview of code reviews.
FutureWare doesn’t do formal code reviews, but accomplishes the same things (e.g., asset reuse, mentoring, consistent conventions and nomenclatures, etc.) throughout a development and integration effort. Other organizations can get comparable results using different organizational structures and management techniques suited to such things as team size, member locations, and clearly defined goals, among other things.
Esther Schindler, senior online editor at CIO.com, has written an excellent article, Running an Effective Code Review, that covers the dynamics, nuances, approaches, along with observations from various individuals within the industry. Well worth reading by anyone who is serious about getting a positive return on their software development investments.
Ms Schindler’s well written article has seven sections, which I’ll highlight here. I also have to disclose that I was fortunate enough to be selected to provide some background material and a quote or two.
Running an Effective Code Review
Code reviews can be a frustrating waste of time, but they can be a worthwhile experience that contributes to team-building, improves the software, and oh yeah… is also fun.
Five Reasons for Software Developers to Do Code Reviews (Even If You Think They’re a Waste of Time)
The benefits of doing code reviews are far more than improved code quality. If someone on your team is reluctant to take the time to conduct a code review, print out this article and whack him over the head with it.
What to Look for in a Code Review
You have all the right software developers in the conference room, ready to pore over the project’s code. But now& what do you do? We share tips from experienced programmers.
Making Code Review Software Tools Help, Not Hinder
Software automation tools can be a boon for developers who are preparing for a code review, and they can take away a lot of the bookkeeping drudgework. But don’t expect software tools to replace human evaluation skills.
How to Lead a Code Review
Your code review depends on ensuring the right people examine the software. Sure, the software developer who wrote the code needs to attend. But who else should participate in the meeting? Don’t expect a lot of agreement.
How Not to Run a Code Review
Code reviews can help software developers improve their software, but the process can go wrong. Oh, SO wrong. Here’s where you’ll find the biggest problems… and office politics is just the beginning.
Doing Spot-On Code Reviews with Remote Teams
When the entire team can’t be in the same room–due to telecommuting, outsourcing, or the distributed nature of open source development–a code review has special challenges. Here are a few tips to deal with them.
Tags: change management tools, code reviews, software management, software quality