The hottest Code Reviews Substack posts right now

Code smells indicate potential problems with code design, readability, and bugs. They serve as warning signs to refactor before issues compound.
Common signs of code smells include excessive code comments, frequent bugs in certain areas, code duplication, divergent changes, and shotgun surgery.
Tools like static code analysis, IDE plugins, code visualization tools, code review tools, and code metrics tracking help in identifying and addressing code smells in a codebase.

Recommend following a 'Help me Help you' approach in software engineering
In bug reports, provide clear title, priority, severity, repro steps, expected result, actual result, and additional details for easier resolution
Consider adding valuable information like screen recordings and detailed context in bug reports for the engineering team

Investing time in writing beautiful code is crucial for code longevity and maintainability.
Code that 'mostly works' is not the standard to aim for; focus on creating code that is always functional and meets significant requirements.
Developing a culture of producing beautiful code in a team requires more than guidelines and prizes; it involves a collective shift in mindset and commitment.

Faster code reviews lead to 50% higher software delivery performance.
Improving code review quality and speed has various benefits like improved code quality and developer experience.
Methods to speed up code reviews include techniques like pair programming, goal setting, continuous merge, and using AI for code review.

The post is about code reviews and pull requests in high performing teams.
There will be upcoming content on Dependency Injection and Pragmatic Clean Architecture.
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Code reviews can be a nurturing process rather than micromanagement for a busy manager.
It's important to create a positive environment around code reviews to encourage growth and learning.
Being a benevolent manager during code reviews can lead to better team dynamics and productivity.

Marissa Mayer oversaw Google's 'Local' division, focusing on local ads and services.
The acquisition of Zagat by Google faced internal resistance and eventually Zagat was spun out to another company.
Code reviews and the pursuit of perfection in coding can lead to conflicts and differing perspectives among software engineers.

Research shows that women perform fewer code reviews than men, and there is a gender disparity in the code review process.
Men and women are equally likely to complete an assigned review, but women submit slightly fewer but larger changelists.
To address code review inequities, consider implementing a round-robin review process and tracking pull request distribution to promote fairness and balance in team code reviews.

Training may not be the most effective way to level up development teams; it can be costly and the impact on team readiness is uncertain.
Tools alone are not sufficient to level up teams; they often just cover up broken practices and policies.
Code reviews are the most effective method to quickly improve team proficiency; they promote a culture of constructive feedback and knowledge sharing.