Friday, September 28, 2012

Are Code Reviews Still In Vogue?

I have seen a significant drop off of companies conducting code reviews, which is unsettling because code reviews are still extremely valuable.

The code review process is challenging, and real-time embedded systems have the additional challenge of software and hardware interfaces. That is why I recommend adding a hardware designer to participate in the code review. It can really help to solve problems quickly that may arise during the review.

I have heard Management's reasons to forgo code reviews:
1. It ties up precious resources
2. Not sure how to conduct one properly
3. Might upset a few of our developers
4. The meeting becomes an excuse to attack someone
5. Not on the schedule

But I feel that in spite of all the trouble it may entail,  the goal of creating high-quality, sustainable, maintainable code in a timely manner is well worth the effort. I have found design reviews and code reviews to be invaluable tools to improve the actual quality of the software, stimulate growth, enforce coding standards and find bugs early.

In my experience, having led code reviews and having been a member of peer teams reviewing code, I always felt that it was a positive learning experience. Oftentimes simply asking the developer basic questions and allowing them to explain their thinking leads to amazing results.

Are you using code reviews as an integral part of your embedded development experience? What challenges are you having?

-Gary

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