branch-code-review

Branch Code Review (General)

Purpose

Perform a general code review on the current branch compared to the base branch (main by default), focusing on architecture, maintainability, and correctness.

Scope

• If $ARGUMENTS is provided, treat it as a scope (paths, diff range, or PR number).
• If no arguments are provided, review base...HEAD where base is detected (origin/main → origin/master fallback).

Workflow

1. Determine diff target
   • Detect base branch:
     • git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD → extract main or master.
     • If not available, try origin/main, then origin/master.
2. Enumerate change surface
   • git diff --name-status base...HEAD
   • git log --oneline base...HEAD
   • Read the diff before diving into code.
3. Architecture pass
   • Evaluate loose coupling, high cohesion, extensibility, and DRY.
   • Check module boundaries and whether responsibilities are clearly separated.
4. Maintainability pass
   • Keep files under ~500 lines unless necessary.
   • Names are descriptive; public names are concise; internal names can be verbose.
   • Comments explain why for non-obvious logic; remove redundant comments.
   • Documentation is updated for behavior, usage, or interface changes.
5. Correctness and safety
   • Validate logic, edge cases, and error handling.
   • Look for regressions, config mismatches, or hidden coupling.
6. Tests
   • Ensure tests exist and are meaningful for the change surface.
   • Prefer tests that would fail on broken behavior.

Best-Practice Signals (from authoritative guidance)

• Review design and interactions first; validate overall intent. (Google Eng Practices)
• Read every changed line in logical sequence; expand context if needed. (Google + Microsoft)
• Focus on correctness, readability/maintainability, and test quality. (Microsoft)
• Use structured checklists to avoid missing issues. (Atlassian)

Repo-Specific Context

This repo is evolving toward extensible planning/content management. Favor:

• Clear interfaces for future content types beyond plans.
• Minimal cross-package coupling.
• Extensible, composable APIs (avoid one-off branching).
• Config/format stability to support long-lived plans and migrations.