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Good Reviews
Reviews exist on a spectrum from low value to high value.
Low Value Reviews
A low value review takes on faith that the objectives and approach should not be improved. Without explanation and evidence, this is never a correct assumption.
A low value review stops after asking...
- Can I understand this code?
- Does this code look like it will work?
A low value reviewer says "This seems weird to me. The problem must be me."
High Value Reviews
A high value review questions every aspect of a change, including why it's being done in the first place.
A high value review asks...
- What high level goal is this change trying to accomplish?
- Is the objective well-defined?
- Is the objective actually good or is it mistaken?
- At a conceptual level, is the general approach taken very good or can it be obviously improved?
- Does the code implement the approach well or poorly? How might the code be made to feel more elegant and informative?
- What circumstances will the new code NOT handle?
A high value reviewer says "This seems weird to me. The problem might not be me. I should try to find out."