The Art of Code Review

I used to dread code reviews. Either I'd get nitpicky comments about formatting, or I'd get no feedback at all. Neither was helpful. But over time, I've learned that good code reviews are less about finding bugs and more about sharing knowledge.

The best review I ever got didn't point out a single bug. Instead, it asked questions. "Why did you choose this approach?" "Have you considered this alternative?" It made me think deeper about my decisions.

What Makes a Good Review

Good reviews focus on the important stuff. Is the code correct? Is it readable? Will it be maintainable? Formatting and style are secondary—that's what linters are for.

I try to ask questions instead of making demands. "What do you think about using X here?" works better than "You should use X." It starts a conversation instead of a debate.

Receiving Feedback

Learning to accept feedback was harder than learning to give it. At first, every comment felt like criticism. But I realized that reviewers are trying to help, not attack. They're catching mistakes I missed, suggesting improvements I didn't think of.

The key is separating the code from yourself. The code isn't you. Feedback on code isn't feedback on you. Once I internalized that, reviews became much easier.

Not every suggestion needs to be implemented. Sometimes the reviewer doesn't have full context. Sometimes there's a good reason for the approach. The discussion is what matters. I've also learned to push back when I disagree. Not defensively, but with explanation. "I considered that, but here's why I went with this instead." Often the discussion leads to a better solution than either of us had alone.

Code reviews are a skill. They take practice. But when done well, they make the whole team better. Everyone learns, the code improves, and we catch issues before they reach production.

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