Hey everyone! I'm a new developer who joined a new department a few months ago. I've dealt with three different code reviews for the same change request, mainly because "standard practices" seem to be communicated inconsistently, and they're not documented anywhere. I did ask about these practices when I started, but now I keep receiving varying feedback that leads to reworking different parts of my code. Today, I almost blew up during the review because I just want my project changes to get approved! I feel like after the first round of feedback, we should be working together rather than having me guess what's expected. Is it just me, or have others experienced this? How did you manage it?
6 Answers
Are you familiar with the language or the team’s environment? Many of the practices they flag might just pertain to their specific setup and aren't general best practices you can find in documentation.
This is definitely something your manager or mentor should step in to help with. You're not alone in this struggle, and it should be addressed at the team level to avoid confusion going forward.
You're definitely not overreacting! It sounds like there's a lot of unspoken, 'tribal knowledge' specific to your team. Maybe consider documenting these practices yourself and propose creating a centralized resource or wiki for your team. It can help not only you but future newbies too!
That’s a good idea! Sure, it's frustrating to compile this info, but it might help foster more standardization.
Exactly! But remember, while some practices may be project-specific, basic best practices should be easy to record.
You might just have to brush off those nitpicks! Remember, you’re getting paid no matter what, so focus on the bigger picture and don't let it drain your energy.
Totally get that! But I also can't stand when my time is wasted on unnecessary changes.
What kinds of standard practices are you running into? Some can be really nitpicky, like needing different log messages for 'if' and 'else if' statements, which seems unnecessarily complicated.
Exactly! I got dinged for using the same log message in different conditions even though they'd output different values! It feels unreasonable.
It sounds like you’re getting hit with additional scrutiny since you're new. Try pairing with someone who might be going through similar challenges. They might have insight into the norms that aren’t written down.
Exactly, I’m learning that these standards are unique to my team and there’s no documentation to guide me. It’s tough when you’re told to just learn as you go.