Code review is an essential part of the development process. It lets you identify problems with your code before it is implemented and helps reduce the time spent on fixing bugs.
In this blog, we’ll explain what the code review process is and what tools you can use to automate it.
What is the Code Review Process?
Code review is an important process of orderly testing of software to find and remove errors, bugs, overflows, and other vulnerabilities found in the code. A good code review process is constructive, limited, and instructive.
It is important to review code because:
Improves code readability
Improves code quality
Creates better documentation
Optimizes code for better performance
Knowledge sharing
This process directly impacts the review time. For example, If reviewers are overloaded with work, they make take time to review the respective code. As a result, the review time will increase which further results in high cycle time.
Key Steps in the Code Review Process
Conducting a thorough code review is crucial for maintaining quality and consistency in software development. Here are the key steps to follow:
Understand the Code's Purpose
Before diving into specifics, grasp what the code is intended to accomplish. Visualize possible outcomes and consider efficient solutions. If any part is unclear, seek clarification from colleagues to ensure a solid understanding.
Examine Coding Standards
Assess the adherence of the code to the project's established coding standards. This includes naming conventions, file organization, and overall style adherence, ensuring consistency across the project.
Test the Code
Implement tests to validate that the code functions as expected. This step ensures that the outputs align with the intended purpose. Creating and following a checklist can streamline the testing process.
Optimize the Code
Post-validation, focus on refining the code. This may involve improving formatting, optimizing performance, and reducing unnecessary complexity or lines of code to enhance readability.
Document and Organize Feedback
Gather insights and feedback in an organized manner. Whether using digital note-taking apps or collaborative tools like code review platforms, keeping feedback structured helps in clear communication.
Share Findings
Present your findings in a structured format, either through detailed documentation or, if needed, in a concise meeting to facilitate discussion. Clear communication ensures everyone is on the same page and can address any issues efficiently.
By following these steps, you can ensure a thorough and effective code review process that enhances the quality and maintainability of the software.
Why Code Review Tools are Important?
Code review tools automate and streamline the review process. Hence, making it more efficient and decreasing the review time.
These tools can help in providing a clear structure for the review and ensure code quality and consistency.
Code review tools help in getting a clear audit trail of the review process. For example, Who reviewed the code, when it was reviewed, and feedback provided.
These tools facilitate knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the most popular code review tools:
Typo’s automated code review tool identifies issues in your code and auto-fixes them before you merge to master. This means less time reviewing and more time for important tasks. It keeps your code error-free, making the whole process faster and smoother.
Key Features
Supports top 8 languages including C++ and C#
Understands the context of the code and fixes issues accurately
Optimizes code efficiently
Standardizes code and reduces the risk of a security breach
Provides automated debugging with detailed explanations
It is a well-known open-source code repository tool with an in-built lightweight code review tool in its pull request. Hence, developers can easily integrate code reviews into their workflow.
Key Features
Simple, User-friendly UI
Includes a code scanner feature to identify vulnerabilities
Provides detailed oversight of changes in code files
Allows developers to follow up and revisit past reviews
Graphic representation of current status
Pros
Ease of Use: Ideal for developers at every level, GitHub’s intuitive interface simplifies code management and review processes.
Integrated Review Tools: The built-in code review tool in pull requests streamlines collaboration and feedback.
Rich Feature Set: It offers a plethora of features including threaded comments, comparisons, and diffs for comprehensive code analysis.
Team Collaboration: Facilitates seamless teamwork with features designed for collective coding efforts.
Cons
Git Dependency: Users must navigate the intricacies of Git, which can be challenging for beginners.
Code Visualization: While functional, the visualization tools could be enhanced for a clearer depiction of code changes.
Learning Curve: Especially for command line operations, new users might face a steep learning curve.
Price:
Free plan available; paid plans start from $4 per user, per month.
This comprehensive overview ensures that developers are well-informed about what to expect when using GitHub for code review, including both its significant advantages and potential limitations.
It is an automated review tool for static analysis. Supporting more than 40+ programming languages, Codacy also integrates with various popular tools and CI/CD workflows.
Key Features
Gives a clear picture of how projects are doing and how their quality is changing over time.
Adaptable to your code review process.
Provides code coverage.
Helps in knowing the amount of technical debt.
Can identify duplication and poor code metric areas.
Automatically suggests issues, vulnerabilities, and coding standard improvements, enhancing code quality on the go.
Utilizes AI for fixing issues, offering an advanced layer of automation.
Integrations
Codacy offers robust integration options with tools like GitHub, JIRA, and Slack, making it easier to fit into your existing development ecosystem. These integrations simplify notifications and enhance collaboration, ensuring that your team stays aligned.
Pros
Supports a wide variety of programming languages.
Automatically identifies and suggests fixes for issues.
Extensive integration capabilities with popular platforms.
Tracks code quality trends over time, helping maintain high standards.
Cons
There is a learning curve as you familiarize yourself with its features.
Offers fewer integration options compared to some other tools, which might limit flexibility for certain teams.
Price:
Free for open source teams; paid plans start from $15 per developer per month, offering features like private repositories and advanced integration options, adding significant value for teams needing more than the basics.
It is a code hosting and collaboration tool from Atlassian. Bitbucket can easily integrate with other Atlassian tools like Jira, Bamboo, Jenkins, and many more.
Key Features
Provides a forum to discuss changes before they are merged into a new project.
Offers a built-in issue tracker.
Includes an automated pipeline build process.
Creates tasks out of code review comments.
Automatically integrates security scans and test results into the pull request view.
Pros
Enforces merge conditions, ensuring code quality by preventing merges until all criteria are met.
The interface is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
Seamlessly integrates with JIRA, enhancing project management capabilities.
Supports a long list of integrations, making it versatile and compatible with various tools.
Cons
Branch management is less intuitive compared to other platforms like GitHub.
Initial configuration can be complex, which might be challenging for new users.
Price:
Free plan available; paid plans start from $3 per user, per month.
Price:
Free plan available; paid plans start from $3 per user, per month
Gerrit works as a median between a developer and the central repository. It’s an open-source code collaboration tool that facilitates developers in reviewing source code directly through a web-based system.
Key Features
Incorporates a Voting System: Encourages peer review and consensus on code changes.
Includes REST-like API: Allows for customized automation, enhancing flexibility in development workflows.
Combines Review Tool and Bug Tracker: Merges essential functionalities to streamline development processes.
Customization Options: Offers extensive customization capabilities to tailor guarding policies, webhooks, and project access controls.
Error Detection: Assists in identifying errors in the source code, improving code quality.
Pros
Simple Workflow: Gerrit boasts a straightforward and efficient workflow, which is easy for developers to adopt.
Git Repository Hosted: By being hosted through a Git repository, it maintains a clean and organized repository history.
Self-Hosted, Web-Based: Provides independence and accessibility for teams preferring specific hosting environments.
Cons
Git Exclusivity: Functions only with Git, which might limit its adoption for teams using different version control systems.
Admin Rights Requirement: Requires administrative rights to add repositories, potentially complicating setup for some users.
Easy Bypass with Force Code: Possibility of bypassing some workflows, posing a risk to process integrity.
Branch Management Challenges: Managing different branches can be more cumbersome compared to other tools.
Price:
Free plan available. For those considering an enterprise-level solution, GerritForge offers a comprehensive package. The starting price for this professional tier is set at $16,100 annually, providing access for 50 users. This cost reflects the enhanced features and support that come with the enterprise version, tailored for larger teams and organizations.
Rhodecode is a code review platform that offers an integrated tool for Subversion, Mercurial, and Git. With its in-built security features, it ensures a secure environment for software development, providing seamless integration with your existing projects.
Key Features
Unified Repository Management: Manage all your code repositories from a single, centralized control point. This unified system allows you to view all changes on one dashboard, enhancing team collaboration.
Workflow Automation: Streamline your development processes with automated workflows that help your team stay efficient and productive.
Integration Options: Rhodecode integrates smoothly with tools like JIRA, YouTrack, and Webhooks, enabling seamless project management and automation.
Project History Navigation: Easily navigate the history of your project across various branches, making it simple to track changes and progress.
Inline Code Reviews: Provide and receive feedback with inline code reviews, facilitating communication and improving code quality.
Pros
Multi-Version Control Support: Supports Mercurial, Git, and Subversion, offering flexibility for teams using different version control systems.
Security: Utilizes a robust access control list permissions system, ensuring your code remains secure.
Cons
Learning Curve: The tool presents a steep learning curve, with a user interface that may not be as intuitive as other platforms.
Community Size: Unlike larger platforms, the Rhodecode community is smaller, which can affect the availability of community-driven support and resources.
Price: Free plan available; paid plans start from $8 per user, per month.
Rhodecode balances robust security and integration features with some usability challenges, making it a powerful yet demanding tool for code review.
It is a free, open-source, web-based document review tool that lets you perform both pre-commit and post-commit code reviews based on your requirements.
Key features:
Offers smart indentation handling for code review
Private, secure, and in control
Integrates seamlessly with a wide range of version control systems
Allows reviewing code as well as PDFs, documentation, and graphics
streamlines the review workflow with Slack, Asana, Jenkin, Trello
Price:
Free plan available; paid plans start from $29 per user, per month
How Typo and Code Review tools are Connected?
Code review tools automate your code review process to increase efficiency and decrease review time. Typo provides instantaneous cycle time measurement for both your organization and each development team using your Git provider.
Furthermore, Typo provides automated dev workflows that help in shipping pull requests and code reviews faster. As a result, it helps in saving your time and effort and improving your PR cycle time.
