What is a code review and why is it important?

• A. A formal process that delays shipping without benefits.
• B. A management process that only checks for style compliance.
• C. A peer evaluation of code changes to catch defects, share knowledge, and improve code quality and consistency.
• D. A step that can be skipped without impact on quality.

Answer: (C)

A code review is a peer evaluation of code changes to catch defects, share knowledge, and improve code quality and consistency. In practice, teammates examine the diffs, discuss design decisions, verify correctness, consider edge cases, assess performance and security implications, and check readability and adherence to coding standards. The big payoff is catching bugs early before they reach production, which reduces debugging time later and lowers risk. It also spreads knowledge about the codebase, helps maintain a coherent approach across the project, and promotes better patterns and maintainability.

It's not just about style checks or a management checklist; it covers logic, design, and potential issues that affect the software’s behavior and long-term health. And it isn’t something to skip lightly—the faster, thoughtful feedback from reviews accelerates learning and reduces costly defects down the line.