code-review

---

name: code-review description: Systematic code review checklist version: 1.0.0 tags:

• code-quality
• review
• best-practices domains:
• software-development

---

Overview

A systematic approach to reviewing code changes, whether self-review before committing or reviewing others' pull requests.

When to Use

• Before committing code
• Reviewing pull requests
• Auditing existing code
• After making significant changes

Review Checklist

1. Correctness

• Does the code do what it's supposed to do?
• Are edge cases handled?
• Are there any obvious bugs?
• Do tests pass?

2. Security

• No hardcoded secrets or credentials
• Input validation present
• SQL injection prevention (parameterized queries)
• XSS prevention (output encoding)
• Authentication/authorization checks

3. Performance

• No N+1 query problems
• Appropriate caching
• No unnecessary loops or allocations
• Reasonable algorithmic complexity

4. Maintainability

• Clear naming (variables, functions, classes)
• Single responsibility (each function does one thing)
• No excessive complexity
• Reasonable file/function length

5. Testing

• Tests cover happy path
• Tests cover edge cases
• Tests are readable and maintainable
• No flaky tests

6. Documentation

• Complex logic is commented
• Public APIs are documented
• README updated if needed

Steps

1. Understand the context - What problem is being solved?
2. Read the diff - Understand what changed
3. Run through checklist - Check each category
4. Test locally - If significant changes
5. Provide feedback - Be constructive and specific

Watch Out For

• Being too nitpicky about style (use linters)
• Missing the forest for the trees
• Not understanding the broader context
• Rubber-stamping without actually reviewing