Code Review Best Practices

Reviews Should Improve Code and People

Not just find bugs.

For Reviewers

Be kind:

// Bad
"This is wrong"

// Good
"This might cause issues because... Consider..."

Explain why:

// Bad
"Use const instead of let"

// Good
"Since this value never changes, const makes that intent clear"

Ask questions:

"What happens if user is null here?"
"Could this race with the other update?"

For Authors

Keep PRs small:

• Under 400 lines ideally
• One logical change per PR
• Split refactoring from features

Write good descriptions:

## What
Add pagination to user list

## Why
Page was timing out with 10k+ users

## Testing
- Tested with 50k users locally
- Added unit tests for edge cases

What to Look For

1. Logic errors - Edge cases, off-by-one
2. Security - Injection, auth bypass
3. Performance - N+1, missing indexes
4. Readability - Naming, complexity
5. Tests - Coverage, edge cases

Automate the Boring Stuff

Don't argue about style. Use tools:

• Linting: ESLint, PHP CS Fixer
• Formatting: Prettier
• Types: TypeScript, PHPStan

# Run automatically on PR
- npm run lint
- npm run test
- npm run typecheck

Approve and Move On

Perfect is the enemy of good. If it:

• Works correctly
• Has tests
• Doesn't introduce debt

Ship it. Iterate later.