[rules-dev] Peer reviewing on github with "commit comments": very useful

[Geoffrey De Smet]

Hi guys,

Until now, when a code change was committed and pushed by someone else
and you did not agree with the code change(s),
there were only 3 things you could do:
- Fix it and commit it, if you're a 90%+ sure that it's a mistake (and 
probably mail the original committer so he has a chance to disagree)
- Postpone it and hope you run into the original committer on IRC (or 
mail him), still remember the issue, still remember the class and line 
name and discuss it...
- Ignore it, especially if you're less than 50% sure that it's a problem.
Most of the times, we probably ignored it, to avoid stepping on people 
toes and because it's a lot of work copying the affected code.

But thanks to github, there's an 4th way: look up the commit on 
github.com and click left of the line(s) with which you don't agree.
It has a couple of advantages:
- Your concerns are hooked to the code line of your concerns, making it 
much easier for the original author to understand your point
- The original author might invalidate your concerns or find a bug in 
your proposed changes
- If the original author validates your concerns, he has learned and 
won't make the same mistake again
- The original author might have made a similar mistake in other code 
(which only he knows about)

Here's a recent successful conversation:
   
https://github.com/droolsjbpm/droolsjbpm/commit/e9cbcf0e874cc2103ebda44ceafebed2473a556c#L0R359

You can find a list of all commit comments here:
   https://github.com/droolsjbpm/droolsjbpm/comments

-- 
With kind regards,
Geoffrey De Smet