I previously mentioned in the Fisheye and Crucible 2.3 announcement that we plan on doing a deep dive into several of the new features in Crucible 2.3. Today I will start off by showcasing one of the “coolest” features of Crucible – Snippet reviews.
Snippet Reviews
The idea behind this feature is that many developers have discussions about their code through IM, emails, or verbally – mainly because it is convenient and easy. Think of what they are doing as an ad-hoc code review process – really just discussing code. We took this concept and plopped it into Crucible – pastebin style! To create a Snippet review you just need the following:
- Title
- Type or paste some code
- (optional) Dropdown for syntax highlighting of your source
You can start your code review (or code discussion) in a matter of seconds with no formal workflow, no moderator, no SCM.
Discussing code
Your ad-hoc code review is now started – anyone can comment on your code. There are a couple of important points to note about Snippet reviews:
- A “permalink” is available for easy sharing.
- The review is part of the Fisheye and Crucible activity stream.
- Uses a normal Crucible ID.
- Everything is part of Crucible history and easy to reference (audit trail).
Now your colleagues can just point, click and type their comments to start a threaded discussion.
Let’s watch it in action…
Snippet ideas
Snippet reviews provide developers an ad-hoc way of discussing code by providing an easy way to:
- Get feedback on important pieces of code.
- Gather ideas from others when you are stuck on a section of code.
- Get over the guilty factor. Review your colleagues code when you have spare time. Instead of reading a blog, why not discuss some code.
More ways to review
This is one of many ways to create a code review using Crucible (there are over 20 ways). Pre-commit, post-commit, moderated, un-moderated, workflow, no workflow….are just some of the ways to get your code review started. Stay tuned for a future blog that shows all the ways to start a code review with Crucible.
Get Crucible today
Download Crucible 2.3 now to upgrade or get started with a free 30-day trial. You can also play around with our live Sandbox.
Let us know what you think of the Snippet Reviews feature in Crucible 2.3.