October 2023 - Techmatetech LLC

How to do Code Review on Github?

Sign in to GitHub with your username and password.
Go to the main page of the repository by searching for it or accessing it through your organization.
After that, navigate to the “Pull Requests” tab
Choose the PR you want to Review.

Now, let’s delve into understanding the context.

Read the PR’s title and description. This provides you with a high-level understanding on why code needs to be changed.
Examine any related issues that may provide additional context or explain why these changes are required.

Familiarize yourself with the project’s coding guidelines and standards. These might be documented in the repository or communicated by the team.
Consider aspects such as code formatting, variable naming conventions, function structure, and overall code quality.

Select the “Files Changed” tab to compare the code changes side by side.
Examine the codebase for additions, changes, and deletions.
If the changes include new functionality, try to understand how it works and, if possible, test it.
Check that the new changes haven’t broken any existing functionality.

Learn about the project’s coding guidelines and standards. These may be recorded in the repository or communicated by the team.
Take into account code formatting, variable naming conventions, function structure, and overall code quality.
To add a comment, select the line of code you want to comment on.
Highlight problems, propose alternatives, or recognize well-executed sections.
Provide overall feedback about the architecture, design decisions, or code organization in the PR’s comment section.
Discuss the big picture and how these changes fit into the overall goals of the project.

Participate in discussions with the PR author and other reviewers. Address any reservations, request clarification, and provide context for your feedback.
If the PR author makes changes based on your feedback, review the PR to see if the issues have been adequately addressed.
Approve the PR if you are satisfied with the changes. If not, choose “Request changes” and describe what needs to be changed.

In larger projects, specific parts of the codebase may have designated code owners. Respect their expertise and, if necessary, seek their advice.
Look for automated CI checks in the PR description or comments, such as tests and code analysis. Check that these checks pass.
Keep in mind that the goal is to collaborate, not to criticize. Give constructive feedback and explain your suggestions.

The PR can be approved once all feedback has been addressed and the code meets the required standards.

Now, Time for the final step

After merging, close the PR with a comment summarizing the review results.
After the review, consider the process. Discuss with your team how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the code review process.