Replication Package for `Code Review Comprehension: Reviewing Strategies Seen Through Code Comprehension Theories`

# Replication Package for `Code Review Comprehension: Reviewing Strategies Seen Through Code Comprehension Theories`

 

## Abstract

 

Modern code review is a critical component of the software development process for many projects. Despite its importance, there is limited understanding of the cognitive processes that enable reviewers to analyze code and provide meaningful feedback. Comprehending the code changes under review is both the most essential competence for reviewers and their primary challenge.

 

To address this gap, we observed and interviewed ten experienced reviewers as they performed 25 code reviews from their review queue. Using Letovsky’s model of code comprehension, we performed a theory-driven thematic analysis to investigate how reviewers apply code comprehension to navigate changes and provide feedback.

 

Our findings confirm that code comprehension is fundamental to the code review process. We extend Letovsky’s model to propose the Code Review Comprehension Model, demonstrating that code review, like code comprehension, relies on opportunistic strategies. These strategies typically begin with a context-building phase, followed by code inspection involving code reading, testing, and discussion management. Reviewers construct a mental model of the changeset as an extension of their understanding of the overall software system and use mental representations of expected and ideal solutions to interpret and evaluate the proposed changes. Based on our findings we propose the adoption of more human-centric code review tools and practices that support the strategies employed by reviewers and allow them to externalize and share

their mental model of the PR and its alternatives with other developers.

 

 

## Structure

```

README.md

 

Study-Design/

    interview_structure.pdf

    demographics_survey.pdf

    participant_consent.pdf

 

Data-Analysis/

    transcripts/

        P1R1.rtf

        P1R2.rtf

        ...

 

    coding/

        codebook.pdf

        coding_schema_theory-driven.png

 

    co_author_review_1/

        coded_transcript_P4R1.pdf

        coauthor_notes_P4R1.txt

        ...

    co_author_review_2/

        coded_transcript_P2R2.pdf

        coauthor_notes_P2R2.txt

```

 

## Contents of the Replication Package

 

### `Study-Design`

Contains documents that outline the study’s methodology and design:

- `interview_structure.pdf`: Structure and sample questions for the review&interview sessions.

- `demographics_survey.pdf`: Survey capturing demographic data of participants.

- `participant_consent.pdf`: Consent form signed by study participants before the recorded sessions.

 

### `Data-Analysis`

Contains files used and produced in the analysis.

- `transcripts/`: Raw transcripts from code review sessions (e.g., `P1R1.rtf` for Participant 1, Review 1).

 

- `coding/`: Coding schema and list of final codes and themes.

- `coding_schema_theory-driven.png`:The initial coding schema created based off Letovsky's comprehension model and other theories as reported in the paper.

- `codebook.pdf`: A complete list of codes created in the analysis

 

- `co_author_review_1/`: Documents from the first co-author review, including coded transcripts and reviewer notes.

 

- `co_author_review_2/`: Documents from the second co-author review, including coded transcripts, reviewer notes, and coding schema for knowledge and mental models.