When and why to use code review software

You can use code review software on single-man projects, but the real benefits come from using with a larger team. A fresh pair of eyes to look at the code is needed to view from an umfamilar perspective. Often a programmer may of been bogged down in particulars, so a systematic line by line code review can enable a better understanding of the aim of the code in line with the system requirements. With multi-coder reviews the chances of detecting needlessly complicated code, or simple incorrect code are dramatically increased. Catching this errorneous code relatively early, and replacing it, can lower the technical debt of the project dramatically. This makes it far easier to support, maintain and improve a project.

Doing a security focused code review can also help remove vulnerabilities, reducing any potential attack vector. Removal of commong exploits such as SQL injection or buffer overflows, will reduce the potential attack vector, and result in more secure software.

So this all sounds great, so why wouldn’t you want to do a code review. The major negative is the increased investment in hours needed to do a formal code review. This has to be balanced with the need for stable and secure software, and the consequences of bugs being present. Also code review is certainly no guarantee of bug free software, nothing is. But overall if you have a long term commitment to your core code base, introducing formal code reviews can be a huge step to ensuring higher quality code.