What happens if there are too many Flashy Reviews and how to prevent them?

A Pull Request larger than 200 Lines of Code merged with less than 5 minutes is considered as a Flashy Review PR.

This is configurable in the Settings screen.

To filter out on the PRs with Flashy Reviews, simply apply the filter in Pull Request screen.

When there are too many flashy reviews, some issues that can potentially arise are

• Reduced Code Quality: Quick approvals of large PRs may lead to overlooked bugs and security issues due to insufficient review.

• Increased Technical Debt: Quick reviews can result in code that doesn’t meet best practices or project standards, increasing maintenance challenges.

• Decreased Team Accountability: Minimal scrutiny of PRs can promote a culture where developers expect fast approvals, reducing overall discipline and accountability.

• Knowledge Silos: Quick approvals might limit the opportunity for team members to fully understand the changes, creating knowledge gaps within the team.

To prevent an excess of Flashy Review PRs and encourage more thorough code reviews, consider the following strategies

• Limit Size of PRs: Encourage developers to keep PRs manageable by limiting the number of lines of code or changes included. Smaller, more focused PRs are easier to review thoroughly than large batches of changes.

• Set Clear Review Policies: Establish and enforce a policy that requires sufficient time for code review, especially for larger PRs. This policy could include specific time frames based on the size of the PR.

• Use Code Review Checklists: Develop checklists that reviewers can use to guide their review process, ensuring they cover all necessary aspects of the code.

• Mandatory Reviewer Assignments: Require that PRs be reviewed by at least one senior developer. Assign reviews based on the areas of the codebase affected to ensure knowledgeable feedback.