What is Code Review？

Code review is an essential practice in modern software development. It involves systematically examining code written by one developer and reviewed by others. This process not only helps in identifying bugs and issues early but also promotes knowledge sharing and maintains code quality. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of code review, best practices, and how to conduct an effective code review process.

Benefits of Code Review

1. Improved Code Quality: By having multiple eyes on the code, potential issues such as bugs, security vulnerabilities, and performance bottlenecks can be identified and addressed early.

2. Knowledge Sharing: Code reviews are an excellent opportunity for team members to learn from each other. Junior developers can gain insights from more experienced colleagues, and even seasoned developers can pick up new techniques and perspectives.

3. Consistency: Ensuring that the code adheres to the project’s coding standards and conventions is crucial. Code reviews help maintain consistency across the codebase, making it easier to read, understand, and maintain.

4. Reduced Bugs: Catching bugs early in the development process is far more cost-effective than fixing them later. Code reviews help identify and fix issues before they make it to production.

5. Enhanced Collaboration: Regular code reviews foster a culture of collaboration and open communication within the team. It encourages developers to discuss and debate different approaches, leading to better solutions.

Practice

Traditional Code Review practices typically involve reviewing Pull Requests (PRs) and providing feedback or optimization suggestions for any unreasonable parts. To improve team code quality and knowledge sharing, it is valuable to have regular short Code Review meetings with team members to summarize issues encountered during the review process. Of course, you should not directly point out who wrote problematic code, as the goal is to facilitate learning and exchange.

However, manual Code Reviews consume a lot of time, effort, and mental energy. With the advancement of AI technology, we can leverage AI tools to assist with Code Reviews. Next, let’s see how to use AI tools for Code Reviews in VSCode.

Plugin

First, install the VSCode plugin BLACKBOX AI

Create a test.js file with the following content:

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function checkStatus() {
  if (isLogin()) {
    if (isVip()) {
      if (isDoubleCheck()) {
        done();
      } else {
        throw new Error("Don't click twice");
      }
    } else {
      throw new Error("Not VIP");
    }
  } else {
    throw new Error("UnLogin");
  }
}

This function contains nested conditional logic. How can we optimize it? Select the code you want to optimize, right-click, and choose “Improve Code.”

Let’s see the suggestion provided by AI:

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function checkStatus() {
  if (!isLogin()) {
    throw new Error("UnLogin");
  }

  if (!isVip()) {
    throw new Error("Not VIP");
  }

  if (isDoubleCheck()) {
    throw new Error("Don't click twice");
  }

  done();
}

The AI’s suggestion is quite good. We can further optimize the suggestions by providing more prompts, but we won’t go into that here. Typically, the basic optimization idea for this type of code is to place validation logic first and the main logic afterward.

So, do we still need to perform Code Reviews ourselves if we have AI tools? The answer is yes. AI tools can help reduce the effort needed to read large amounts of code, improve efficiency, and shorten Code Review time. However, we still need to refine and summarize the AI’s suggestions. This helps broaden our knowledge and enables us to write better-quality code.

Conclusion

Code review is a powerful practice that, when done right, can significantly improve the quality of your codebase and the overall development process. By following best practices and fostering a culture of constructive feedback and collaboration, teams can leverage code reviews to build better software, reduce bugs, and promote continuous learning.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to the practice, embracing code reviews can lead to more robust, maintainable, and high-quality code. So, make code reviews an integral part of your development workflow and watch your team and codebase thrive.

AI tools significantly enhance the Code Review process by automating repetitive tasks, providing intelligent suggestions, and ensuring code quality. However, human oversight remains crucial to validate AI-generated feedback and maintain the contextual integrity of the code. Combining AI with human expertise leads to more efficient and effective Code Reviews.