Code Review Craze: Why & How? - Joseph & Jesse

Smash the Bug: Episode 32

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Your host: Joseph Maxwell, Founder and CEO of SwiftOtter & Jesse Maxwell, Tech Lead at SwiftOtter

We write so much code and we love it! Just write it out, proofread it and you’re done! Right? Well..sometimes. In fact, many agencies still operate that way, but SwiftOtter can testify to the reality that code review processes are absolutely vital to the long-term quality of the code we write. In fact, SwiftOtter just hired a great developer to lead the code review process because they’re so good at this task. In a world where billable hours and quick turnaround times are supreme, we must remember that quality is the only option, before profits or short-term gratification.

Show Notes

00:40

News & updates! Reacticon, upcoming conferences, PHP 7.3 hitting “end of life”, PHP 7.4’s best new features, and more.

3:35

Our next Ecommerce Ninja Training (November 3rd - Set a reminder HERE) and Jesse’s live training debut with an introduction to PWA.

5:15

What really IS code review, a couple basic reasons why it’s so important, and how great teams should be thinking about it (spoiler alert: a lot of teams don’t really do it).

6:20

How the transfer from the developer (writing the code) to the code reviewer should work, and what the value is in having two sets of eyes on that code.

8:40

The importance and format of documentation in light of the code review process. How should the code be properly annotated to facilitate a smooth review?

10:15

Why being asked “so why did you do it that way” is very helpful for us! 

11:15

Are you “getting in the zone” when writing code or “getting lazy”? Just knowing that someone is going to review your code is a huge benefit for developers (while frustrating, at times).

12:10

When someone thinks the code reviewer’s feedback is bad feedback - the value in disagreement, and how to move through that. 

14:00

Why SwiftOtter’s developers actually love the code review process, and why that is so good for company culture.

16:50

A few simple but incredibly detailed and important tips for when you are writing code and anticipating a code review, and the best way to respond to “nit picking”, whether you’re a junior or a senior dev.

22:00

Example: The difference between a secure and insecure query and how a good reviewer could catch that. Is your code secure?

23:30

A few big questions for a code reviewer to ask about the developer’s code, and things they should be looking for. What is “self-documenting code” and what is “cyclomatic complexity”? Joseph uses the term “code smell”.

26:35

How important is naming? It seems elementary, but it’s a bigger part of our job than we think.

33:45

Pulling out temporary code, commented code, and “cleaning up the mess” more often. Joseph mentions referencing and explains the excuses we often use to leave bad code in there.

Connect with Jesse:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Connect with Joseph:

LinkedIn

Twitter

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This podcast exists to inspire, educate and entertain eCommerce developers who are serious about improving their skills and advancing their careers!

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