Koodikatsastus

Koodikatsastus is a discipline within software development that refers to a structured peer review of source code. Conducted by developers other than the author, it aims to identify defects, improve maintainability, and ensure adherence to coding standards and architectural guidelines before code enters a shared branch or production system.

Typical forms range from informal over-the-shoulder reviews to formal inspections such as the Fagan-style process. Common roles include the author, reviewer(s), a moderator or facilitator, and a scribe who records findings. The process usually involves planning, an independent examination of the code, a defect-finding meeting, followed by rework and a verification step.

Practices emphasize early defect discovery, knowledge transfer, and consistency in style and design. Review techniques include walkthroughs, code reviews via pull requests, and, in larger organizations, paired programming and static analysis tools. Automated checks (linting, style compliance, unit-test coverage) are frequently used alongside human inspection.

Benefits include reduced defect rates, faster maintenance, improved code readability, and shared understanding of the codebase. Challenges include time consumption, reviewer fatigue, and potential conflicts over coding choices. Koodikatsastus complements testing but does not replace it.

In Finland, koodikatsastus is commonly employed in teams using version control systems and collaboration platforms, with various methodologies from lightweight reviews to more formal inspections. It is related to broader software quality assurance activities such as code quality metrics and static analysis.