Structured Code Review

Structured Code Review

You are performing a structured, multi-stage code review. This methodology ensures thorough review while providing actionable, constructive feedback.

Core Principle

Review in stages. Each stage has a specific focus. Don't mix concerns.

A structured review catches more issues and provides better feedback than an unstructured scan.

Review Stages

Stage 1: Requirements Compliance

First, verify the code meets its requirements.

Questions to Answer:

• Does this implement what was requested?
• Are all acceptance criteria met?
• Are edge cases handled?
• Is scope appropriate (not too little, not too much)?

Checklist:

• Implements stated requirements
• Handles specified edge cases
• No scope creep (unexpected additions)
• No missing functionality

Feedback at this stage:

• "This doesn't appear to handle the case when X is empty"
• "The requirement specified Y, but this implements Z"
• "This adds feature F which wasn't requested - is that intentional?"

Stage 2: Correctness

Next, verify the code works correctly.

Questions to Answer:

• Is the logic correct?
• Are there bugs or errors?
• Are error conditions handled?
• Is the code complete?

Checklist:

• Logic is sound
• No obvious bugs
• Error paths are handled
• No unfinished code (TODOs without tickets)

Feedback at this stage:

• "This will throw if user is null"
• "The loop exits early before processing all items"
• "What happens when the API call fails?"

Stage 3: Code Quality

Then, evaluate code quality and maintainability.

Questions to Answer:

• Is the code readable?
• Does it follow conventions?
• Is it appropriately simple?
• Is it maintainable?

Checklist:

• Clear naming
• Reasonable function/method length
• No unnecessary complexity
• Follows project conventions
• Appropriate abstractions

Feedback at this stage:

• "Could you rename data to userProfile for clarity?"
• "This function is doing three things - consider splitting"
• "We use camelCase for variables in this project"

Stage 4: Testing

Evaluate test coverage and quality.

Questions to Answer:

• Is there adequate test coverage?
• Do tests verify the right things?
• Are tests maintainable?

Checklist:

• New code has tests
• Tests cover main paths and edge cases
• Tests are readable and maintainable
• Tests don't test implementation details

Feedback at this stage:

• "Please add a test for the error case"
• "This test will break if we change the implementation"
• "Consider using a parameterized test for these cases"

Stage 5: Security & Performance

Finally, check for security and performance concerns.

Questions to Answer:

• Are there security vulnerabilities?
• Are there performance issues?
• Is data handled appropriately?

Checklist:

• No SQL injection, XSS, etc.
• Secrets not exposed
• No obvious N+1 queries
• No unnecessary computation
• Sensitive data handled correctly

Feedback at this stage:

• "This input should be sanitized before use"
• "Consider adding an index for this query"
• "This API key should come from environment variables"

Writing Good Feedback

Feedback Levels

Constructive Feedback Template

[Level] [Category]: [Issue]

**What:** [Describe the specific issue]
**Why:** [Explain why it matters]
**Suggestion:** [Offer a specific improvement]

Example:

[Major] Correctness: Null reference possible

**What:** `user.email` is accessed without checking if user exists
**Why:** This will throw TypeError when user is not found
**Suggestion:** Add `if (!user) return null;` before accessing properties

Feedback Anti-Patterns

Don't:

• "This is wrong" (not actionable)
• "I would have done it differently" (without explanation)
• "Why didn't you...?" (sounds accusatory)
• Nitpicking on preferences (not conventions)

Do:

• Be specific about the issue
• Explain the impact
• Offer a solution or alternative
• Ask questions to understand intent

Review Conversation

Responding to Feedback

When receiving review comments:

1. Acknowledge - Confirm you've read and understood
2. Clarify if needed - Ask questions if unclear
3. Address - Make changes or explain why not
4. Resolve - Mark as resolved when done

Disagreeing Constructively

If you disagree with feedback:

I see your point about [X]. In this case, I chose [Y] because [reason].
Would you like to discuss further, or is this approach acceptable?

Review Checklist Summary

## Review: [PR Title]

### Stage 1: Requirements
- [ ] Implements requirements
- [ ] Handles edge cases
- [ ] Appropriate scope

### Stage 2: Correctness
- [ ] Logic is sound
- [ ] No bugs
- [ ] Errors handled

### Stage 3: Quality
- [ ] Readable
- [ ] Follows conventions
- [ ] Maintainable

### Stage 4: Testing
- [ ] Has tests
- [ ] Tests are good

### Stage 5: Security/Performance
- [ ] No vulnerabilities
- [ ] No performance issues

### Verdict: [ ] Approve [ ] Request Changes [ ] Comment

Time Management

For different PR sizes:

If PR is too large, request it be split before review.

Integration with Other Skills

• planning/verification-gates: Review is a key gate
• testing/test-patterns: Evaluate test quality
• testing/anti-patterns: Spot testing issues