3 Problems to Stop Looking For in Code Reviews

Reviewing code is one of the most valuable tasks we do each day as a software developer. In that one activity, we spot problems and preempt issues before they can grow. We learn new approaches and gain familiarity with features we might have to update or borrow from in the future. We provide guidance and teaching, ensure quality and maintainability, and keep an eye on the future direction of the codebase.

But with code review doing so much for us, we can overload it, give it too much responsibility, accumulate tasks and checks that belong elsewhere. By treating code reviews as the final gate work passes through, we risk it also becoming the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Code review becomes time-consuming, problems slip through the cracks, and time gets wasted doing rework.

The types of issues you could discover

Many of these issues only come to light during code review, but proper planning and tooling could catch them much earlier, especially the ‘easy ones’.

Easy issues

Lint — Simple or common mistakes; not meeting best practice or the recommended style for the language or framework.

Coding Standards — Does your team or company have a list of rules or guidelines for writing code? Does this code…