Code Quality Improvement Techniques Part (opens in new tab)

Effective code review communication relies on a "conclusion-first" approach to minimize cognitive load and ensure clarity for the developer. By stating proposed changes or specific requests before providing the underlying rationale, reviewers help authors understand the primary goal of the feedback immediately. This practice improves development productivity by making review comments easier to parse and act upon without repeated reading.

Optimizing Review Comment Structure

• Place the core suggestion or requested code change at the very beginning of the comment to establish immediate context.
• Follow the initial request with a structured explanation, utilizing headers or numbered lists to organize multiple supporting arguments.
• Clearly distinguish between the "what" (the requested change) and the "why" (the technical justification) to prevent the intended action from being buried in a long technical discussion.
• Use visual formatting to help the developer quickly validate the logic behind the suggestion once they understand the proposed change.

Immutability and Data Class Design

• Prefer the use of val over var in Kotlin data class structures to ensure object immutability.
• Using immutable properties prevents bugs associated with unintended side effects that occur when mutable objects are shared across different parts of an application.
• Instead of reassigning values to a mutable property, utilize the copy() function to create a new instance with updated state, which results in more robust and predictable code.
• Avoid mixing var properties with data class features, as this can lead to confusion regarding whether to modify the existing instance or create a copy.

Property Separation by Lifecycle

• Analyze the update frequency of different properties within a class to identify those with different lifecycles.
• Decouple frequently updated status fields (such as onlineStatus or statusMessage) from more stable attributes (such as userId or accountName) by moving them into separate classes.
• Grouping properties by their lifecycle prevents unnecessary updates to stable data and makes the data model easier to maintain as the application scales.

To maintain high development velocity, reviewers should prioritize brevity and structure in their feedback. Leading with a clear recommendation and supporting it with organized technical reasoning ensures that code reviews remain a tool for progress rather than a source of confusion.