Code Quality & Review
Stage Guidance
Plan Stage
Focus: Understand code review scope and establish review criteria. Consider what quality standards apply.
Activities:
- •Identify code review scope
- •Understand applicable standards
- •Plan review approach
- •Consider risk level
Ready for Code when:
- • Review scope is clear
- • Standards are understood
- • Review approach is planned
- • Risk level is assessed
Code Stage
Focus: Write clean, maintainable, tested code. Follow project conventions and ensure adequate coverage.
Activities:
- •Write readable, well-structured code
- •Add appropriate tests
- •Follow project conventions
- •Document non-obvious logic
Ready for Review when:
- • Code compiles and passes all tests
- • Changes are covered by tests
- • Code follows project conventions
- • No unnecessary complexity
Review Stage
Focus: Verify correctness, maintainability, and adherence to standards. Ensure no code is shipped that isn't understood.
Activities:
- •Verify code does what it claims
- •Check test coverage
- •Review for maintainability
- •Confirm style compliance
Ready for Complete when:
- • No obvious security vulnerabilities
- • Error handling is appropriate
- • Documentation updated if needed
- • No code you don't fully understand
Reference
Review Process
1. Correctness First
Before anything else, verify the code does what it claims:
- •Does it implement the intended behavior?
- •Are there logic errors or off-by-one bugs?
- •Does it handle all specified requirements?
- •Are error conditions handled appropriately?
2. Test Coverage
Check that changes are properly tested:
- •Unit tests for new functionality
- •Edge cases and error conditions
- •Integration tests where appropriate
- •Tests are readable and maintainable
3. Maintainability
Evaluate long-term code health:
- •Clear naming (variables, functions, classes)
- •Appropriate abstraction levels
- •No unnecessary duplication (DRY)
- •Single responsibility principle applied
4. Code Style
Verify consistency with project standards:
- •Follows project coding conventions
- •Consistent formatting and indentation
- •Appropriate comments for non-obvious logic
- •Documentation updated if needed