Code reviews don’t have to be battlegrounds. I believe they can be helpful tools for sharpening your team and improving your code. While there are probably no processes or guidelines that can compensate for abrasive personalities on your team, I've discovered over the years that some of my practices simply ended up working better than others. Here's a touch of what I've learned.
- Everyone should participate - Lead programmers shouldn't be the only ones reviewing code.
- Lead programmers' work should be reviewed - Senior programmers and technical leads don't get a free pass. Their code should be reviewed, too!
- Figure out formatting standards early - Save time during code reviews by deciding formatting standards ahead of time.
- Understand personality types - It makes a difference for how you interact with your peers during code reviews, and in general. I wrote this article for Develop with Purpose.
- Use code review software - Code review software makes for much more efficient reviews.
- Live code reviews - Tips for doing code reviews when you can't use software.
