Project 3 Code Review

In class Wed 6/3.

Before the Session

You have been assigned two or three other teams whose code you will review. In preparation, you need read over their source code and also build and run their program.

For each team you're reviewing:

  1. Check out the team's Phase 2 code (replace the highlighted bits):
    git clone --depth 1 --branch phase_3_2 https://me@bitbucket.org/them/their_repo.git
    
  2. Get together with your teammate(s) and read over the code. Make sure you study it carefully. Write down:

    • A short list (2 or 3 items) of the things you like best about their code.
    • A short list of questions, if any, you have about the code. For example, “how does that work?” or “why did you decide to do X instead of Y?”. Please avoid editorializing or passive-aggressive crypto-criticism; the next bullet point is where you should get at real critiques.
    • A short list (1 to 3 items) of the most important suggestions you can offer for the improvement of their code.

    You are going to give these notes to the other group, so make sure that they are clear, legible, constructive, and polite.

    Consider reading through Google's C++ and Java style guides, and providing feedback on code style with respect to these. Remember that, more than anything else, consistency and legibility are key. If a team violates the word of the style guide, but is internally consistent and produces clear code, then that's just fine. If they adhere to the letter of the style guide, but produce code that's inconsistently formatted or difficult to read, that's not okay.

  3. Thorough testing isn't the point of this exercise, but you'll want to try running the program.

After you've reviewed all other teams' code, do the same for your own team.

During the Session

After all teams have been reviewed, we should have half an hour or so left in the class period. Come back to the classroom if you left, and we'll all recap together.