What are the best practices for identifying performance issues in code review?

1 Use performance metrics

One of the first steps to identify performance issues in code review is to use performance metrics that can measure and compare the efficiency of your code. Performance metrics can include indicators such as response time, throughput, latency, CPU usage, memory usage, and network traffic. You can use tools such as profilers, monitors, and benchmarks to collect and analyze these metrics. By using performance metrics, you can identify the hotspots, bottlenecks, and anomalies in your code that may affect its performance.

2 Apply performance standards

Another best practice for identifying performance issues in code review is to apply performance standards that can define the acceptable levels of performance for your code. Performance standards can be based on the requirements, expectations, and goals of your software project. They can also be derived from the best practices, guidelines, and principles of your programming language, framework, and domain. By applying performance standards, you can evaluate the quality of your code against the criteria that matter for your software.

3 Review performance-sensitive code

A third best practice for identifying performance issues in code review is to review performance-sensitive code that can have a significant impact on the overall performance of your software. Performance-sensitive code can include areas such as loops, algorithms, data structures, queries, network calls, and concurrency. You can use techniques such as code annotations, code comments, and code tags to mark and highlight the performance-sensitive code in your codebase. By reviewing performance-sensitive code, you can focus on the critical parts of your code that may need optimization or refactoring.

5 Seek feedback and suggestions

A fifth best practice for identifying performance issues in code review is to seek feedback and suggestions from your peers, mentors, or experts who can offer different perspectives, insights, and experiences on your code. Feedback and suggestions can help you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your code, to learn new techniques and best practices, and to improve your skills and knowledge. By seeking feedback and suggestions, you can benefit from the collective wisdom and collaboration of your team and community.

6 Test and verify performance

A final best practice for identifying performance issues in code review is to test and verify the performance of your code before, during, and after the code review process. Testing and verifying performance can help you to ensure that your code meets the performance standards, to detect and resolve any performance issues or bugs, and to measure and improve the performance of your software. You can use tools such as unit tests, integration tests, load tests, and stress tests to test and verify the performance of your code at different levels and scenarios.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?