Having a hard time reviewing code? Using emojis to annotate your feedback might just do the trick!

Arthur Coudouy — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 09:08:22 +0000

Reviewing code is difficult because of human psychology...

But you can ease the process by giving a framework for comments. In my team at Axolo, if a comment is not included in one of the categories we have defined, it should not be posted.

So we have 11 categories, and use emojis to explain which categories the comment is in:

🔧 I think this needs to be changed.

👍 I like this and I want you to know!

❓ I have a question. This should be a fully formed question with sufficient information and context that requires a response.

💭 I express concern, suggest an alternative solution, or walk through the code in my own words to make sure I understand. You probably need to explain your choice.

🌱 An observation or suggestion that is not a change request, but may have larger implications. Generally something to keep in mind for the future, adding a comment in the PR might be useful.

🗒️ This is an explanatory note, fun fact, or relevant commentary that does not require any action.

⛏️ This is a nitpick. This does not require any changes (and is often better left unsaid).

♻️ Suggestion for refactoring. Should include enough context to be actionable and not be considered a nitpick.

🏕️ Here is an opportunity, not directly related to your changes, for us to leave the campground [code] cleaner than we found it.

📍 This is a concern that is out of scope and should be staged appropriately for follow up.

💡 Your code made me think of this new idea. No actions needed, I want to share this idea with you

Any feedback is appreciated! We keep the list public on GitHub inside our tools for developers repository: https://github.com/axolo-co/developer-resources/tree/main/code-review-emoji-guide

DEV Community: Arthur Coudouy

Having a hard time reviewing code? Using emojis to annotate your feedback might just do the trick!