Wikimedia Developer Summit/2017/Better code review processes for reviewers

Wikimedia Developer Summit 2017 Session Notes Template

Session Overview

Title: Better code review processes for reviewers

Day & Time: Tuesday at 1:10pm

Room: Ventana

Phabricator Task Link: task T149639

Slides: google docs presentation

Facilitator(s): Andre

Note-Taker(s): greg-g, qgil

Remote Moderator:

Advocate:

Session Summary

Detailed Summary

etherpad notes

Purpose

Move towards agreement on improvements, approaches, way forward to most important aspects

Discussion Topics

• Summary of suggestions:
  • Being friendly
  • Not starting with nitpicking
    • put all your nitpicking together, don't string it out over multiple reviews (if you can)
    • automate as much of it as possible in your coding styles checks in CI
  • Predictable approach
    • inconsistency across repos on review practices confusing (eg: Some abandon all WIP change >1 month old, others dont, etc.)
  • Architectural things first
  • Developers should contact the "responsible team" beforehand [for bigger changes]

Committee discussion:

• what's the charter? enforcement of practices or standards setting? problem definition?
• ensure the members have the needed authority

Meta code-review practices suggestion:

• James F described some nice Gerrit features his team uses, these should be documented/shared more widely if they are deemed more widely useful

Action Items

• Set up a working group (which might form a committee)
  • purpose: problem definition / scoping.
  • timeframe: 2-3 months? present finding and recommendations for next steps (probably something like "form a committee to work on the problem")