In a smaller project (small is a subjective term, one may consider what is a small project in their team), would it be better to do a ‘Code Review’ or ‘Pair Programming’ or Both?
Suggested Solution:
Many times, I’ve been part of ‘Pair Programming’ vs ‘Code Review’ discussions. There are some empirical data on the benefits of Pair Programming over Code Review. But, it is not sufficient to answer all the questions raised by practitioners. And hence the debate continues…!
Based on my experience, I would prefer Pair Programming for any project irrespective of its size. The benefits of readable code, maintainability, cleaner design, de-risking knowledge packet creation, de-risking dependency on any specific individual, collective code ownership, to name a few, outweigh the few perceived shortcomings.
Having said that, even though pair programming is my preference, I completely agree and accept ‘Code Review’ when practiced with the right spirit.
