5 Reasons that Depict the Importance of Code Reviews

Tags: security, privacy, devops, productivity
Published: 2019-08-20 11:00:02

The beginners have the idea of code review, neither in their academic era nor even in the company they work. Therefore, it is hard for them to understand the significance of code reviews in an organization. Well, it happened with me too and so I am a witness. When I started programming, I had no idea of what code reviews are and why are they important, I just start solving the problem and submit it once done. But this is not how organizations work. 
There are many other things to ponder irrespective of your own logic and implementation style. These may include <a href="https://shuftipro.com/blogs/digital-id-verification-the-key-to-developing-intelligent-security-systems/">software security</a> perspectives, code usability and readability, scalability and similar ‘to ponder’ points. Nitty-gritty details while developing a full-stack project which includes the need for <a href="https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/what-do-programmers-need-to-know-about-third-party-services-adb306b19bf6?source=your_stories_page---------------------------">third-party services</a>, trusted libraries, <a href="https://shuftipro.com/compliance-and-regulations/gdpr/">GDPR compliance</a>, flexible programming language, friendly UI and UX,  integration of <a href="https://shuftipro.com/api/docs/">online identity verification</a> API, etc. are also part of the project. But, these are the things which are actually important to consider and recheck during and after implementation. For this, code review is important.
 
Below are 5 reasons which depict the need for code reviews while building software:

<h3><b>1. Double-Check the Project Requirements in the Code</b></h3>

The project is considered to be complete if it fulfills all the requirements of the client. These requirements include both functional and non-functional requirements. Functional requirements are the ones in which there are specifications given related to the project, the major and minor functions which should be present in the system. Non-functional requirements are the ones in which the performance of certain functionality should be fulfilled for example the load time, verification time, processing time, etc.

The requirements of the project should be checked after the project is done. Also, any member of the team should double-check all the requirements. In case any of the requirements are not entertained and you have pulled the request in a shared medium of code, a team member can comment and ask you to fix this. Here teamwork is important, different minds cater to different perspectives and so diversity increases the scope of the project.


<h3><b>2. Run Test-Cases to find Vulnerabilities in the Code</h3></b>

Before delivering the code to the testing team, code should be giver a peer review. This is done by looking into the code manually and checking if there are errors and how to fix them. Remove them on your own, review the code and identify the vulnerabilities. 

For this, certain test-cases should be built in order to evaluate the results of the software based on particular inputs. This would be helpful in reducing the risks of vulnerable functions usage and coding style that can cause harm to the system or are prone to cyberattacks. Code can also be reviewed by the senior who has experience of manually testing and pointing out the mistakes in the code which should be strictly taken care of.

<h3><b>3. Eliminate Single Point of Failure</h3></b> 

Code reviews are important to eliminate the single point of failure from the application. Instead of one person working on a particular component, the whole team should evaluate the work of each member. This helps different minds find out all the possible vulnerabilities in the system and ask to fix them. The threat of a single point of failure will be eliminated through this.

Also, sometimes a senior developer is not at the place to review the code and identify the bugs in it, this is then the responsibility of other team members to fill the gap and do this job on their own. Then a developer should make sure that the piece of code he has written is not producing any loopholes. 

<h3><b>4. Improve Code Quality and Readability</h3></b>

Code reviews help in improving the quality of code, giving another revision to the code can help in better structuring. The team can review the code of fellow members in order to take out the structuring, comments and indentation mistakes. This can help in better readability of the code outside the department. 

Many times the code usability can be increased by giving it a generic look. This is only possible when code is written with proper logic and scalability point of view. Code review is helpful in analyzing the overall code structure and improve it if required.

<h3><b>5. Avoid the Cost of Errors by Fixing them Earlier</h3></b>
 
The most important benefit of code review is, it helps to reduce the cost of a bug by fixing it earlier. Developers are supposed to work with strict deadlines, a certain amount of work should be done in a sprint, it is the responsibility of the team to conduct meetings and collaborate in order to deliver the work in the defined time period. After the release of the software, any bug can result in a heavy cost to the organization and it gets even harder to solve that issue in that crucial time. To avoid this situation, it is necessary that proper code review is done by the team members and deliver a sound and complete application to the administration. 

It gets challenging for the programmers to analyze where the bug exists. With code reviews, such situations can be minimized.