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What is Code Review and When Is It Needed?

What is Code Review and When Is It Needed?
Hostman Team
Technical writer
Infrastructure

You can write code. You can edit existing code. You can even rewrite it from scratch. There’s a lot you can do with code. But what’s the point if the code lives in its own echo chamber? If the same person writes, views, and edits it, many critical errors can drift from one version to another unnoticed without external evaluation. Code locked within the confines of a single text editor is highly likely to stagnate, accumulating inefficient constructs and architectural decisions, even if written by an experienced developer.

This is why every developer should understand what code review is, how it’s done, and what tools are needed. Presenting your code properly to others, gathering feedback, and making changes wisely is important. Only this way can code remain “fresh” and efficient, and applications based on it — secure and high-performing.

Code review is the process of examining code by one or more developers to identify errors, improve quality, and increase readability.

Types of Code Review

1. Formal Review

A formal review is a strict code-checking process with clearly defined stages. It’s used in critical projects where errors can have serious consequences — for example, in finance or healthcare applications. The analysis covers not just the code but also the architecture, performance, and security. Reviewers often include not just developers but also testers and analysts.

For example, a company developing a banking app might follow these steps:

  • Development: A developer completes a new authentication module and submits a pull request via GitHub.
  • Analysis: A review group (2 senior developers + 1 security specialist) is notified and checks the code for logic, readability, and security (e.g., resistance to SQL injection and XSS attacks).
  • Discussion: Reviewers meet the developer over Zoom and give feedback.
  • Documentation: All notes are posted in GitHub comments and tracked in Jira. For instance, some RESTful requests may be flagged as vulnerable with a recommendation to use parameterized queries.
  • Fixes: The developer updates the code and the pull request; the cycle repeats until approval.
  • Approval: Once reviewers are satisfied, the code is merged into the main branch.

2. Informal Review

Informal code review is less strict and more flexible, usually involving:

  • Quick code discussions in chat or meetings
  • Showing code to a colleague in person
  • Asking an expert a technical question

This kind of review happens often in day-to-day work and is characterized by spontaneity, lack of documentation, informal reviewer choice, and shallow checks.

In simpler terms, it’s more like seeking advice than a formal third-party audit. It's a form of knowledge sharing.

Types include:

  • Over-the-Shoulder Review: One developer shows their code to another in real time (via screen share, chat message, or simply turning the monitor).
  • Ad-hoc Review: A developer sends code to a colleague asking them to check it when convenient, e.g., I wrote this handler, but there’s an error. Can you take a look?
  • Unstructured Team Review: Code is discussed at a team meeting, casually and collaboratively, often with knowledge sharing.

Feedback is given as recommendations, not mandates. Developers can ignore or reject suggestions.

Although informal reviews are less reliable than formal ones, they’re quicker and easier, and often complement formal reviews.

Examples of integration:

  • Preliminary Checks: Before a pull request, a dev shows code to a colleague to discuss and fix issues.
  • Informal Discussion During Formal Review: Reviewers may chat to resolve issues more efficiently.
  • Quick Fixes: Developers make changes right after oral feedback instead of long comment exchanges.

3. Pair Programming

Pair programming is when two developers work together on one machine: one writes code, and the other reviews it in real-time.

It’s literally simultaneous coding and reviewing, which helps catch bugs early.

Roles:

  • Driver: Writes code, focused on syntax and implementation.
  • Navigator: Reviews logic, looks for bugs, suggests improvements, and thinks ahead.

Roles can be switched regularly to keep both engaged.

Variants:

  • Strong Style: Navigator makes decisions, and the driver just types. It works well if one of the developers is more experienced.
  • Loose Pairing: Both share decision-making, swapping roles as needed.

Though rare, pair programming has advantages:

  • Instant Feedback: Bugs are fixed immediately.
  • In-depth Review: The second dev is deeply involved in writing the code.
  • On-the-job Learning: Juniors learn directly from experienced peers.

It’s more of a collaborative development method than a strict review.

4. Automated Review

Automated code review uses tools that analyze code for errors, style, and vulnerabilities without human intervention.

These tools are triggered automatically (e.g., after compilation, commit, or pull request).

They analyze, run tests (e.g., unit tests), and generate reports. Some tools can even auto-merge code if it passes checks.

Automated code review is part of DevOps and is common in CI/CD pipelines before deploying to production.

Types:

  • Static Analysis: Checks code without executing it — syntax errors, bad patterns, etc.
  • Dynamic Analysis: Runs code to detect memory leaks, threading issues, and runtime errors.

However, for now, tools can't catch business logic or architectural issues. As AI evolves, tools will likely become better at "understanding" code.

When is Code Review Needed?

Ideally, you should conduct code reviews both in small and large-scale projects.

The only exceptions might be personal side-projects (pet projects), although even these can benefit from outside input.

Automated testing has become standard, from JavaScript websites to C++ libraries.

Still, code review can be skipped for:

  • Trivial changes (e.g., formatting, UI text updates)
  • Peripheral code (e.g., throwaway scripts, config files)
  • Auto-generated code — unless manually modified

In short, review the code only if it plays a critical or central role in the app and a human wrote it.

Main Stages of Conducting Code Review

Regardless of whether a review is formal, informal, or automated, there are several common stages.

Preparation for Review

Whether the written code is a new component for a production application or a modification of an existing method in a personal project, the developer is usually motivated to have it reviewed, either by fellow developers or by using automated testing tools.

Accordingly, the developer has goals for the review and a rough plan for how it should be conducted, at least in broad terms.

It’s important to understand who will participate in the review and whether they have the necessary competencies and authority. In the case of automated testing, it’s crucial to choose the right tools.

Otherwise, the goals of the review may not be achieved, and critical bugs might remain in the code.

Time constraints also matter: when all reviewers and testing tools will be ready to analyze the code, and how long it will take. It’s best to coordinate this in advance.

Before starting the actual review, it can also be helpful to self-review—go over the code yourself and try to spot any flaws. There might be problems that can be fixed immediately.

Once the developer is ready for the review, they notify the reviewers via chat, pull request, or just verbally.

Code Analysis and Error Detection

Reviewers study the code over a period of time. During this process, they prepare feedback in various formats: suggested fixes in an IDE, chat comments, verbal feedback, or testing reports.

The format of the feedback depends on the tools used by the development team, which vary from project to project.

Discussion of Edits and Recommendations

Reviewers and the developer conduct a detailed discussion of the reviewed codebase.

The goal is to improve the code while maintaining a productive dialogue. For instance, the developer might justify certain controversial decisions and avoid making some changes. Reviewers might also suggest non-obvious improvements that the developer hadn't considered.

Documentation and Task Preparation

All identified issues should be clearly documented and marked. Based on this, a list of tasks for corrections is prepared. Kanban boards or task managers are often used for this, e.g., Jira, Trello, and GitHub Issues.

Again, the documentation format depends on the tools used by the team.

Even a solo developer working on a personal project might write tasks down in a physical notebook—or, of course, in a digital one. Though keeping tasks in your head is also possible, it’s not recommended.

Nowadays, explicit tracking is better than implicit assumptions. Relying on memory and intuition can lead to mistakes.

Applying Fixes and Final Approval

Once the list of corrections is compiled, the developer can begin making changes. They often also leave responses to comments.

Bringing code to an acceptable state may take several review rounds. The process is repeated until both reviewers and the developer are satisfied.

It’s crucial to ensure the code is fully functional and meets the team’s quality standards.

After that, the final version of the code is merged into the main branch—assuming a version control system is being used.

Tools for Code Review

In most cases, code review is done using software tools. Broadly speaking, they fall into several categories:

  • Version control systems: Most cloud platforms using version control systems (typically Git) offer built-in review tools for viewing, editing, and commenting on code snippets.
  • Collaboration tools: Development teams often use not just messengers but also task managers or Kanban boards. These help with discussing code, assigning tasks, and sharing knowledge.
  • Automated analyzers: Each programming language has tools for static code analysis to catch syntax issues, enforce style rules, and identify potential vulnerabilities.
  • Automated tests: Once statically checked, the code is run through automated tests, usually via language-specific unit testing libraries.

This article only covers the most basic tools that have become standard regardless of domain or programming language.

GitHub / GitLab / Bitbucket

GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket are cloud-based platforms for collaborative code hosting based on Git.

Each offers tools for convenient code review. On GitHub and Bitbucket, this is called a Pull Request, while on GitLab it’s a Merge Request.

Process:

  1. The developer creates a Pull/Merge Request documenting code changes, reviewer comments, and commit history.
  2. Reviewers leave inline comments and general feedback.
  3. After discussion, reviewers either approve the changes or request revisions.

Each platform also provides CI/CD tools for running automated tests:

  • GitHub Actions
  • GitLab CI/CD
  • Bitbucket Pipelines

These platforms are considered the main tools for code reviews. The choice depends on team preferences. The toolas are generally similar but differ in details.

Crucible

Atlassian Crucible is a specialized tool dedicated solely to code review. It supports various version control systems: Git, SVN, Mercurial, Perforce.

Crucible suits teams needing a more formalized review process, with detailed reports and customizable settings. It integrates tightly with Jira for project management.

Unlike GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket, Crucible is a self-hosted solution. It runs on company servers or private clouds.

Pros and cons:

Platform

Deployment

Managed by

Maintenance Complexity

GitHub / GitLab / Bitbucket

Cloud

Developer

Low

Atlassian Crucible

On-premise

End user/admin

High

Crucible demands more setup but allows organizations to enforce internal security and data policies.

Other Tools

Each programming language has its own specialized tools for runtime and static code analysis:

  • C/C++: Valgrind for memory debugging
  • Java: JProfiler, YourKit for profiling; Checkstyle, PMD for syntax checking
  • Python: PyInstrument for performance; Pylint, Flake8 for quality analysis

These tools often integrate into CI/CD pipelines run by systems like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI, Jenkins.

Thus, formal code review tools are best used within a unified CI/CD pipeline to automatically test and build code into a final product.

Best Practices and Tips for Code Review

1. Make atomic changes

Smaller changes are easier and faster to review. It’s better to submit multiple focused reviews than one large, unfocused one.

This aligns with the “Single Responsibility Principle” in SOLID. Each review should target a specific function so reviewers can focus deeply on one area.

2. Automate everything you can

Automation reduces human error. Static analyzers, linters, and unit tests catch issues faster and more reliably.

Automation also lowers developers’ cognitive load and allows them to focus on more complex coding tasks.

3. Review code, not the developer

Code reviews are about the code, not the person writing it. Criticism should target the work, not the author. Maintain professionalism and use constructive language.

A good review motivates and strengthens teamwork. A bad one causes stress and conflict.

4. Focus on architecture and logic

Beautiful code can still have flawed logic. Poor architecture makes maintenance and scaling difficult.

Pay attention to structure—an elegant algorithm means little in a badly designed system.

5. Use checklists for code reviews

Checklists help guide your review and ensure consistency. A basic checklist might include:

  • Is the code readable?
  • Is it maintainable?
  • Is there duplication?
  • Is it covered by tests?
  • Does it align with architectural principles?

You can create custom code review checklists for specific projects or teams.

6. Discuss complex changes in person

Sometimes it’s better to talk in person (or via call) than exchange messages—especially when dealing with broad architectural concerns.

For specific code lines, written comments might be more effective due to the ability to reference exact snippets.

7. Code should be self-explanatory

Good code speaks for itself. The simpler it is, the fewer bugs it tends to have.

When preparing code for review, remember that other developers will read it. The clarity of the code affects the quality of the review.

Put yourself in the reviewers’ shoes and ensure your decisions are easy to understand.

Conclusion

Code review is a set of practices to ensure code quality through analysis and subsequent revisions. It starts with syntax and architecture checks and ends with performance and security testing.

Reviews can be manual, automated, or both. Typically, new code undergoes automated tests first, then manual review—or the reverse.

If everything is in order, the code goes into production. If not, changes are requested, code is updated, and the process is repeated until the desired quality is achieved.

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With intelligent agents, Gemini autonomously searches, reads, analyzes, and synthesizes information from hundreds or even thousands of sources, ultimately producing a full report on the topic of interest. Unlike regular search, which provides short answers and links, Deep Research mode generates detailed reports by analyzing and summarizing information. However, one should understand that such deep analysis takes time, on average, from 5 to 15 minutes. Canvas. An interactive workspace that allows users to create, edit, and refine documents, code, and other materials in real time. Essentially, it is a kind of virtual “whiteboard” for more dynamic interaction with the language model. Thus, Canvas is focused on interactive creation, editing, and real-time content collaboration, while Deep Research is aimed at collecting and synthesizing information to provide comprehensive reports.   Deep Research Canvas Purpose In-depth data collection/analysis Interactive creation and editing of content Result Detailed reports Edited documents Mode Autonomous Active Execution time Several minutes Instant Task type Research, reviews, analytics, summaries Writing, coding, prototyping Users can attach various files to their messages, from documents to images. Along with a text prompt, Gemini can analyze media files, describing their content. Thus, the user can create multimodal queries consisting of both text and media simultaneously. This approach increases the accuracy of responses and creates a wider communication channel between humans and AI. In other words, the browser version is the main way to use Gemini. It is also worth briefly discussing how to register for Gemini and what is required for this. In most LLM services, authorization is required. Gemini is no exception. To launch the chatbot, you must sign in with a Google account. The registration process is standard. You need to provide your first and last name, phone number, and desired nickname. After this, you can use not only Gemini but also the rest of the Google ecosystem applications. Mobile App for Android and iOS You can download the official Gemini mobile app from Google Play or App Store. Functionality-wise, it is not very different from the web version available in a browser, but it has deeper features for user interaction and smartphone integration. Moreover, on many Android devices, the app comes pre-installed. Essentially, it is a mobile client that expands cross-platform access to the Gemini language model. The main differences lie in optimization for specific platforms: Content management. On the browser version accessed from a computer, it is much more convenient to work with text, code, tables, graphs, diagrams, images, and video. Conversely, the mobile app interface, designed for touch and gesture interaction, simplifies use on smartphones and tablets, but does not offer the same efficiency as a keyboard and mouse. Voice input and interaction. The mobile app has more advanced voice input and live interaction features (Gemini Live), allowing you to communicate with the model in real time, using the camera to show objects, the microphone for direct conversation, and screen capture to share images. The browser version lacks this functionality. Device-specific features. The Gemini mobile app integrates closely with smartphone functions (clock, alarm, calendar, documents) for more personalized interaction. The browser version exists in a kind of vacuum and knows almost nothing about the user’s computer. Apart from accessing other websites, it has no “window” into the outside world. In rare cases, it can extract data from other Google services such as Gmail and Google Docs. Multitasking convenience. On a large computer screen, it is easier to work with multiple windows, copy and paste information, which enables more efficient interaction with Gemini. On the other hand, the portability of the mobile app makes it possible to use the model “on the go,” simplifying quick queries during travel. Nevertheless, Google regularly releases updates, and Gemini’s functionality is constantly evolving. Therefore, the differences between the web version and the mobile app change over time. Gemini Assistant On many smartphones running the Android operating system, the Gemini model is gradually replacing the classic Google Assistant. That is, when you long-press the central button or say the phrase “Hey Google,” Gemini launches. It accepts the same voice commands but generates more accurate responses with expanded explanations and consolidated information from different apps. This may also include functions for managing messages, photos, alarms, timers, smart home devices, and much more. Some smartphone manufacturers specifically add a quick-access Gemini button directly to the lock screen, allowing you to instantly continue a conversation or ask a question without unlocking the phone. Thus, Gemini is gradually bringing together multiple functions, transforming into a unified smart control center for the phone. And most likely, this trend will only continue. Chrome Browser In new versions of Google’s Chrome browser, the Gemini neural network is built in by default and is available via an icon in the toolbar or by pressing a hotkey. This way, on any page, you can run queries to analyze text, create a summary, or provide brief explanations of the content of the open site. And let’s not forget third-party extensions that allow Gemini to be integrated into the browser, expanding its basic functionality. Google Ecosystem Services On paid plans, Gemini is available in many Google Workflow services. It adds interactivity to working with documents and content: Gmail. Helps draft and edit emails based on bullet points or existing text. Docs. Generates article drafts and edits text and sentence style. Slides. Instantly creates multiple versions of illustrations and graphics based on a description of the required visuals. Drive. Summarizes document contents, extracts key metrics, and generates information cards directly in the service interface. This is only a small list of apps in the Google ecosystem where you can use Gemini. The main point of integrating the model into services is to automate routine tasks and reduce the burden on the user. Plugins and Extensions for Third-Party Applications For third-party applications, separate plugins are available for integration with Gemini. The most common are extensions for IDE editors, messengers, and CRM systems. For example, there is the official Gemini Code Assist extension, which embeds Gemini into integrated development environments such as Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs. It provides autocomplete, code generation and transformation, as well as a built-in chat and links to source documentation. There are also unofficial plugins for CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot, as well as for messengers like Slack and Teams. In these, Gemini helps generate ad copy and support responses, as well as automates workflows through the API. Versions and Pricing Plans for Gemini First, Google offers both free and paid plans for personal use: Free. A basic plan with limited functionality. Suitable for most standard tasks. Free of charge. Access to basic models, Gemini Flash and Gemini Pro. The first is optimized for fast and simple tasks, the second offers more advanced features but with limitations. Limited context window size up to 32,000 tokens (equivalent to about 50 pages of text). No integration with Google Workspace apps (Gmail, Docs, and others). No video generation functions. Data may be used to improve models (this can be disabled in settings, but it is enabled by default). Limited usage quotas for more advanced models and functions. Advanced. An enhanced plan with extended functionality. Suitable for complex tasks requiring deep data analysis. Pricing starts at $20/month. Access to advanced and experimental models without restrictions. Increased context window size up to 1 million tokens (equivalent to about 1,500 pages of text or 30,000 lines of code). Deep integration with Google Workspace apps. Image and video generation functions. Data is not used to improve models. Expanded voice interaction capabilities via Gemini Live, including the ability to show objects through the camera. Priority access to future AI features and updates. Second, there are extended plans for commercial (business) and non-commercial (educational) organizations, offering additional collaboration and management features: Business. Provides extended functionality of the Advanced plan with additional tools for team use. Designed for small and medium businesses. Pricing starts at $24/month. Enterprise. Provides extended functionality of the Business plan with additional tools for AI meeting summaries, improved audio and video quality, data privacy, and security protection. It also has higher limits and increased priority access. Designed for large international companies with high security and scalability requirements. Pricing starts at $36/month. Education. Provides full access to Gemini’s generative capabilities for educational institutions, including many additional features tailored to the learning environment. Custom pricing. Gemini API for Developers Specifically for developers engaged in machine learning and building services based on large language models, Google provides a full API for interacting with Gemini without a graphical user interface. Moreover, Google has separate cloud platforms for more efficient development and testing of applications built with the Gemini API: Google AI Studio. A lightweight and accessible platform designed for developers, students, and researchers who want to quickly experiment with generative models, particularly the Gemini family from Google. The tool is focused on working with large language models (LLMs): it allows you to quickly create and test prompts, adjust model parameters, and get generated content. The platform offers an intuitive interface without requiring deep immersion into machine learning infrastructure. Simply put, it’s a full-fledged sandbox for a quick start in the AI industry. Vertex AI. A comprehensive artificial intelligence and machine learning platform in Google Cloud, designed to simplify the development, deployment, and scaling of models. It combines various tools and services into a unified, consistent workflow. Essentially, it is a unified set of APIs for the entire AI lifecycle, from data preparation to training, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring of models. In short, it is a complete specialized ecosystem. Gemini Gems. A set of features in Google Gemini designed to automate repetitive tasks and fine-tune model behavior. It allows you to create mini-models tailored for specific, narrow tasks: creating recipes, writing code, generating ideas, translating text, assisting with learning, and much more. In addition to manual configuration, there are many ready-made templates. Naturally, Google provides the API as a separate channel for interacting with Gemini. With its help, developers can integrate text generation, code writing, image processing, audio, and video capabilities directly into their applications. Access to the API is possible through the Google Cloud computing platform. Working with Gemini without a graphical user interface is a separate topic beyond the scope of this article. You can find more detailed information about the Gemini API in the official Google Cloud documentation. Nevertheless, it can be said with certainty that working with the Gemini API is no different from working with the API of any other service. For example, here is a simple Python code that performs several text generation requests: from google import genai # client initialization client = genai.Client(api_key="AUTHORIZATION_TOKEN") # one-time text generation response = client.models.generate_content( model="gemini-2.0-flash", contents="Explain in simple words how generative AI works", ) print(response.text) # step-by-step text generation for chunk in client.models.stream_generate_content( model="gemini-2.0-pro", contents="Write a poem about spring", ): print(chunk.text, end="", flush=True) At the same time, Google provides numerous reference materials to help you master cloud-based AI generation: Documentation. Official reference for all possible capabilities and functions of the Gemini API. GitHub Examples. Numerous examples of using the Gemini API in Go, JavaScript, Python, and Java. GitHub Cookbook. Practical materials explaining how to use the Gemini API with ready-made script examples. Thus, Gemini offers developers special conditions and tools for integrating the model into the logic of other applications. This is not surprising, since Google has one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world. Conclusion The Gemini model stands out favorably from many other LLM neural networks, supporting working with multimodal data: text, code, images, and video. Google, with its rich ecosystem, seeks to integrate Gemini into all its services, adding flexibility to the classic user experience.
19 September 2025 · 14 min to read

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