6 Steps for a Solid Code Review Process

June 29, 2023 - 10 min read

Kelechi Udoagwu

Imagine you’re writing a book and you’ve just finished your first draft. This draft represents the code that’s just been written.

Your code is like your story. It has to be coherent, follow certain rules (e.g., syntax in code and grammar in writing), and ultimately achieve its purpose (e.g., to solve a problem or engage an audience).

The code review process is like the editing phase in writing a book. When you’re done writing your draft, you don’t immediately publish it. You give it to someone else to read — this person is like the code reviewer.

Code review is crucial for software development teams to ensure quality output with minimal errors and risks. It’s a collaborative and iterative process, with the coder and team members (called peer reviewers) going back and forth, exchanging feedback, and making changes until all flagged issues are resolved and the code is up to standard.

This process requires careful oversight. From version control management to organizing feedback and following up with subsequent tasks and activities, software teams need proper IT project management tools to manage their work and create a structured, replicable process.

This article discusses all you need to know about how to conduct a code review. We’ll talk about what it is, its top benefits, how to code review, and how a powerful project management platform like Wrike can improve your process for better results.

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What is a code review?

A code review is a process in software development where one or more programmers examine another’s code to check for errors, bugs, or deviations from the project’s standards.

Through constructive feedback, the code review process seeks to improve the quality and maintainability of an organization’s codebase. The review cycle repeats until the new code meets set standards and is ready to be shipped or integrated into the main codebase.

Below are a few key aspects of a code review:

Correctness: Does the new code do what it was designed to do? Does it reflect the requirements that were given to the developer? Does it handle potential edge cases correctly? Does it follow all regulatory and legal requirements?
Readability: It’s important that the code is clear. Other developers (or even the code author in the future) should be able to understand the written code, even when the author is not available.
Maintainability: Maintainability focuses on the code architecture and how easy it is to modify, integrate, or extend with the existing codebase in the future.
Performance: While premature optimization can be a pitfall, a code review is an excellent opportunity to spot potential performance issues.
Style and consistency: New code should follow a consistent pattern. Many development teams have style guides or use automated linters to enforce a style. Consistent codebases are easier to read and maintain.

It’s important to note that while code reviews can identify many types of problems, they are not a replacement for software testing. Rather, they are one part of a comprehensive software quality strategy.

Why is performing a code review important?

Now you understand what a code review is, let’s discuss why they are essential for every software feature or product launch in development.

Knowledge sharing

Giving feedback and sharing knowledge during code reviews creates an environment where team members learn from each other. When a developer reviews another’s code, they may learn something new about different approaches, algorithms, or techniques that were used.

Reviewers learn from the author’s approach to solving problems, and the author gains insight from reviewers’ perspectives and experiences. Sharing knowledge about the company’s codebase also reduces the “bus factor” — the risk that only one person knows certain parts of the code.

Continuous improvement

Code reviews allow developers to give and receive feedback, enhancing team collaboration and continuous improvement. The iterative process of writing, reviewing, and revising code also encourages team members to improve their programming, communication, and teamwork skills.

Promoting team ownership

What happens when you contribute to a project you weren’t initially a part of? You become invested in it. Code reviews promote a sense of collective ownership and responsibility.

Everyone on the team gets a chance to provide input on different parts of the codebase, increasing their investment in its success and creating a sense of commitment and accountability, improving both the process and the final product.

Codebase consistency

Code reviews help ensure consistency in the coding style, which is vital for maintaining a clean, understandable, and transferable codebase. A consistent codebase reduces the build-up of technical debt and makes it easy for new developers joining a team to get up to speed and begin contributing.

Building confidence

Conducting regular code reviews builds confidence in the software’s stability and functionality. Code reviews ensure multiple pairs of eyes examine the code, making it less likely that bugs or errors slip through to the final product. This enhances product confidence internally within the development team and externally with stakeholders and end users.

Reducing testing cycles

Although code reviews are not a substitute for testing, they can help reduce the number of testing cycles required by catching and fixing issues early in the development process. This way, developers save time and resources that would otherwise be spent on lengthy testing and debugging, resulting in a more efficient development process and a higher-quality final product.

Documentation

Through code reviews, developers can ensure that the code is well documented. Reviewers can check for the presence and quality of comments, making sure they accurately and concisely explain the code’s purpose. This makes the codebase easier to understand and reduces future technical debt.

What are the steps to a good code review process?

Now let’s get into the practicals — how to code review. Below are steps to follow for a good code review process.

1. Determine the purpose

Before beginning a code review, clarify why you’re reviewing the code. Are you looking to find bugs and errors? To check if the new code meets the project’s coding standards? To understand how well a new feature fits in with the codebase? Knowing the purpose will guide team members on what to look for during the review.

2. Use project management software

Using code review tools within project management software can make the process more efficient. This allows you to annotate code with comments, assign to team members, keep track of unresolved issues, and mark them as resolved when addressed.

A project management platform like Wrike, for example, integrates with software development tools such as GitHub, making it easy to streamline your team’s workflow, automate incoming IT work requests, and create more time for developers to focus on the most important tasks.

3. Review the code as a “code breaker”

The idea here is to approach the code review as if you’re trying to find ways it might break or fail. Look for edge cases that the code might not handle correctly. Consider how the code might perform under various conditions or with different input data. Also look for logical errors, unclear or duplicated code, shortcuts, and non-obvious code dependencies.

4. Determine if the code can be maintained

Good code is easy to maintain. Ensure your code review covers the following aspects:

Readability: Is the code easy to understand?
Modularity: Is it well structured, with functionality neatly divided into functions or classes?
Extensibility: Is it easy to add new features or change existing ones?

5. Vet for security

This step involves reviewing the code to identify any potential security vulnerabilities. This could include checking for issues like SQL injection vulnerabilities, improper error handling, hard-coded sensitive data, or inadequate encryption. Specialized tools like static analyzers can help but having at least one human reviewer is essential.

6. Communicate with the coder

Open and clear communication with your team is vital to a successful code review. Deliver feedback, both good and bad, constructively and respectfully. Remember that the goal is to improve the code, not to criticize the coder.

Giving feedback on things the coder did well can help balance any negative criticism and make the code review process a positive one. Once the code is reviewed, communicate the findings to the programmer and give them a chance to respond and make necessary changes. You can leave comments in a GitHub pull request or use your chosen IT project management software.

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Why should you always do a code review?

Apart from the benefits above, it’s advisable to conduct code reviews to:

Discover issues early

Reviewers often spot issues the code author misses. This may be as little as syntax errors or major, e.g., architectural problems and non-compliance with project specifications. Detecting issues early helps maintain the codebase’s stability and reduces the cost (in terms of time, money, and user trust) of fixing bugs late in the development process or after deployment. It can also prevent potential cascading problems that might have occurred if the issue were left unchecked.

Increase security

Code reviews are immensely useful for checking new code for security flaws or potential vulnerabilities. This is especially important for applications that handle sensitive user data. Exposures may include poor error handling, inappropriate use of system resources, insecure communication, or potential areas for malicious injection attacks. A well-conducted code review by a developer who’s knowledgeable about security best practices helps ensure security is built into every feature and product from the start, reducing the risk of a breach later on.

Improve overall code quality

Code reviews not only help identify potential issues but also allow developers to suggest improvements and optimizations. The collective knowledge of the reviewing team leads to code that is more logical, robust, and suited to the organization’s needs.

Improve your code review process with Wrike

There you have it — the foundational details about code reviewing. Before you get started on your own review, let’s recap:

Just like publishing a book without proofreading or editing will likely lead to a book full of unnecessary mistakes, shipping or merging code that hasn’t been reviewed can lead to avoidable flaws and shortcomings in your software project.

This can be avoided by ensuring your code passes through multiple eyes and rounds of reviews to guarantee the best output possible. Conducting code reviews significantly elevates the quality of work delivered by a development team.

Paired with a powerful enterprise project management platform like Wrike, IT project managers can perform code reviews, monitor software performance, identify gaps for improvement, and assign accountability for those tasks, all on one platform.

Collaboration and project management go hand in hand as Wrike integrates with many IT apps and tools. Start with our PMO template to tailor your Wrike IT workspace to match how your team works.

Whether you’re a scaling team now incorporating code reviews into your workflow or an enterprise looking for a better solution to manage IT projects, Wrike’s platform, features, and templates fit the bill.

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Kelechi Udoagwu

Kelechi is a freelance writer and founder of Week of Saturdays, a platform for digital freelancers and remote workers living in Africa.

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How To Create a Business Continuity Plan Template

Modern businesses face countless risks and challenges, and it is critical to have a business continuity plan (BCP) in place. A BCP helps an organization prepare for disasters, respond to disruptions, and recover in an efficient manner. In this article, we will walk you through a step-by-step guide on crafting the perfect business continuity plan template. Grab your notebook, and let’s dive in! Try Wrike for free Understanding the importance of a business continuity plan template A business continuity plan (BCP) is a preventive and proactive plan that helps an organization manage its operations during emergencies and disasters. It involves identifying and assessing potential threats and hazards that may disrupt a business’s operations. The purpose of a BCP is to minimize the impact of unexpected incidents. The goal is to ensure the company can maintain its essential operations with little interruption. Defining business continuity Business continuity refers to a business’s ability to continue its critical functions during a disruption, whether natural or human-made. This type of plan is a holistic approach that encompasses people, processes, and technology. Identifying potential risks and disruptions The initial stage in BCP development is assessing risks to identify potential threats that could affect the business’s operations. Organizations can categorize risks into internal or external factors, such as cyber threats, natural disasters, power outages, or supply chain disruptions. Once the organization has identified the risks, it needs to evaluate them to determine their potential impact. It’s crucial to assess both the likelihood of these risks happening and the potential consequences of not having a BCP. If a company heavily depends on its computers, a cyberattack or computer failure could be expensive and damage its reputation. A BCP can help mitigate these risks and ensure that the company can continue to operate with minimal disruption. The benefits of having a business continuity plan A BCP helps a company by reducing downtime, cutting financial losses, keeping employees safe, and protecting the brand’s reputation. It enables the organization to respond quickly and effectively to a disruption, resulting in minimal business interruption. Having a BCP in place can also increase customer trust and confidence in the companies ability to handle crises. Another advantage of having a BCP is that it helps spot areas for improvement in how the organization works. These changes allow for making processes more efficient, saving money, and becoming more resilient for the business as a whole. Try Wrike for free Lastly, BCPs hold organizations accountable, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with certain regulations can result in fines and reputation damage, along with endangering employees and customers. Key components of a business continuity plan template A BCP template has the following key parts: analyzing business impact, recovery plans, incident responses, crisis communication, and training. A BCP template is an essential tool for ensuring business continuity. In addition to the key parts mentioned, it should also include clear roles and responsibilities for employees during a crisis. These roles can help streamline decision making and ensure a swift response to any disruptions. Furthermore, the template should incorporate regular testing and revision of the plan to adapt to evolving threats and changing business needs. Good business continuity planning is an ongoing process that protects your organization and makes it stronger when facing challenges. Let’s take a closer look at each of these components: Business impact analysis A business impact analysis (BIA) consists of two main parts. The first part involves identifying important functions within the organization. The second part involves determining how a disruption could impact the business’s finances, reputation, and compliance. Keep doing this analysis regularly to make sure it stays current and helpful for the business’s present operations. Recovery strategies Recovery strategies are what a company does to fix important things when something bad happens, using info from the BIA. These strategies include recovering data and systems, relocating staff, or seeking assistance from another company until things are back to normal. Remember to document the recovery strategies in detail and have them regularly reviewed and updated. Regularly test them to ensure they function well and you can use them quickly if there’s an issue. Communication and crisis management A communication and crisis management plan tells you how to talk to employees, suppliers, regulators, and customers when something goes wrong. The plan should ensure everyone understands the company’s response to the problem and its impact on the business. Training and awareness Make sure employees understand the BCP through education and regular training so they know what to do during disruptions. This preparation helps the organization respond effectively and minimize disruptions to its operations. Overall, your program should include training on the BIA, recovery strategies, incident response plan, and communication and crisis management plan. Try Wrike for free Step-by-step guide to creating a business continuity plan template Business continuity planning is a critical process for any organization. Here is your step-by-step approach to creating a BCP template. Step 1: Assemble a business continuity team Assemble a business continuity team consisting of employees from various departments and functions, such as IT, operations, finance, and human resources. These staff members, who know the organization’s important tasks, will create and put the BCP template into action. Also, it is important that the team members have the necessary resources and support to carry out their responsibilities effectively. This may involve giving the team training, making sure they have the right tools and technology. Step 2: Conduct a risk assessment Next, conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify internal and external risks that may impact the organization’s operations. The assessment should consider a range of scenarios, including natural disasters, cyberattacks, and other potential disruptions. It should also take into account the potential impact of these risks on the organization’s critical functions. Step 3: Identify critical business functions After assessing risks, determine which essential tasks must continue during a disruption. Critical functions are the top tasks the organization needs to prioritize, such as assisting customers, handling orders, and managing finances. Remember to involve key stakeholders in the identification of critical functions. Step 4: Develop recovery strategies Next, develop recovery strategies that outline the procedures for restoring each function in the event of a critical disruption. Make sure you test and validate your strategies for effectiveness so you can implement them quickly and efficiently. This testing may involve conducting simulations or other exercises to identify any gaps or weaknesses in your recovery strategies. Step 5: Create an incident response plan Craft a plan that provides details on how the organization will respond to an incident. Ensure the procedures detail how to reach the crisis management team, evaluate the situation, and talk to stakeholders, employees, and customers. Make sure the plan explains how to use recovery strategies from Step 4 quickly and effectively when there’s a problem. Step 6: Establish a communication plan Develop a communication plan that outlines how to approach all stakeholders, employees, and customers regarding the disruption and the organization’s response. This plan needs a crisis management team, and their job is to organize how the organization deals with the problem. Establish this team in advance, and have their contact information readily available. Step 7: Train and educate employees Train and educate employees on the BCP and their responsibilities so that they know what to do during a disruption. Do practice runs often to make the plan work better. Everyone, including those not in the business continuity team, should take part. Step 8: Regularly review and update the plan Every year, go and update the BCP template to ensure accuracy. This will make sure it still works and fits any changes in the company’s operations, risks, and threats. It is also important to review the BCP following any significant changes to the organization’s operations or infrastructure. This may include changes to key personnel, IT systems, or the business’s physical location. Business continuity plan example In this business continuity plan example, we’ll explore the key components of a robust strategy to ensure an organization can weather unexpected disruptions. Let’s consider a manufacturing company. Its BCP might include strategies for relocating production to alternate facilities in case of a natural disaster or supply chain interruption. It may also detail communication protocols to keep employees, customers, and stakeholders informed during such events. Additionally, the plan could address data backup and recovery procedures to ensure critical information remains accessible. With a good business continuity plan, organizations can avoid long disruptions. They can keep a good reputation and hold on to trust from customers and partners, even in tough times. How Wrike can help with a business continuity plan template Wrike helps organizations create and maintain a good business continuity plan by being a flexible project management and collaboration platform. By leveraging Wrike, businesses can streamline their continuity planning efforts in several ways. Wrike helps team members communicate and work together easily, with real-time updates and task assignments — especially important during crises. Secondly, the platform supports comprehensive document management, making it easy to store and access critical documents, such as emergency response protocols and contact lists. Moreover, Wrike’s customizable workflow automation guarantees that it meets crucial tasks and deadlines without fail. This enhances the speed and efficiency of responding to disruptions, ensuring that the business can recover quickly and minimize downtime. In summary, Wrike provides a robust framework for designing, implementing, and maintaining a business continuity plan, helping organizations safeguard their operations and respond effectively to unforeseen challenges. Conclusion A BCP is essential for any organization that wants to ensure business continuity during a disruption. You can create a BCP template by following the steps in this article. This template will assist your organization in managing risks and recovering from disruptions. Remember to review and update your plan regularly and educate your employees to ensure its effectiveness. Ensure your organization’s resilience by crafting an effective business continuity plan template with Wrike. Start your free trial today and safeguard your business from unforeseen risks and disruptions. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

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6 Steps for a Solid Code Review Process

What is a code review?