Code Review
A quality assurance practice where one or more developers examine code written by a peer before it's merged into the codebase.
Also known as: PR Review, Peer Review, Code Inspection
Category: Software Development
Tags: quality, software-engineering, collaboration, teams, best-practices
Explanation
Code Review is a systematic examination of source code by one or more developers other than the author. The practice catches defects, improves code quality, and shares knowledge across the team. Types include: (1) Formal inspections - structured meetings with defined roles, (2) Over-the-shoulder - informal real-time review, (3) Pull request reviews - asynchronous review via version control platforms, (4) Pair programming - continuous real-time review. Effective reviews focus on: logic errors, edge cases, readability, maintainability, security issues, performance concerns, and adherence to standards. Best practices: keep changes small, provide constructive feedback, automate what can be automated (linting, formatting), and focus on learning not criticism. Studies show code review catches 60-90% of defects. Modern tools include GitHub PRs, GitLab MRs, and Gerrit. The practice is fundamental to quality-focused development culture.
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