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Discussion on: What's your typical process for reviewing a pull request in GitHub?

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Dave Nguyen

For long pull requests, I use a practice that I call "micro/macro reviewing"

Stage 1: Micro reviewing

  • Find code that doesn't follow best practice (which formatters and linters don't catch). Make direct suggestions using Github web tool
  • Find good code sections / good tests then publicly thank / praise the author

Stage 2: Macro reviewing

  • Understand what the issue is about
  • Read every changed files, ask myself if the change solves the issue or not, how it solves the issue. Write down any questions that I have. For files that I have no questions and be independent from other files, I fold it.
  • Re-read every unfolded files to find answers for the noted questions. Make a comment for anything that I can't find an answer or things that don't seem right.
  • Beg for tests for non trivial changes.
  • Find more good code sections / good tests then publicly thank / praise the author

I hardly run the code myself. Mostly because I'm lazy, but I trust code authors and our test suite.