Enhancing Collaboration through Effective Pull Requests
Key Practices for Assignees and Reviewers
Pull requests (PRs) are the responsibility of both reviewers and assignees. These interactions are incredible opportunities to learn new things about concepts, ideas, and, most importantly, PEOPLE.
π Here are the top 3 lessons I've learned for raising and reviewing PRs.
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ππΌπΏ ππππΆπ΄π»π²π²π:
1. Raise Smaller PRs: Keep your pull requests small and manageable as much as possible. This makes the review process smoother and more efficient.
2. Provide Context and Documentation: Step into the reviewer's shoes and consider what they need to know to understand the feature, fix, or change you're proposing. Clear documentation is vital!
3. Always Review and Test: Review your work, asking whether it can be optimised performance-wise or readability-wise. Run tests to ensure your job meets the standards before raising the PR. β
ππΌπΏ π₯π²ππΆπ²ππ²πΏπ:
1. Be Helpful and Elaborate: Use PRs as a platform to collaborate and educate. Clearly explain any issues you find and provide supportive materials to help your colleagues, especially juniors, understand. π±
2. Focus on the Code, Not the Person: Your goal is to optimise the solution, not to critique someone's coding style. Keep feedback constructive and centred on improving the code and achieving the goal.
3. Encourage Open Communication: Foster an environment where PR assignees feel comfortable asking questions and seeking clarification. This helps in building a stronger, more knowledgeable team.
Any other points to add to this post? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!