use Perl

Code Review Ladder Mailing List

posted by ziggy on 2003.09.01 17:49   

Simon Cozens writes "I've been threatening to do it for a while, but now I've caved in, and set up the code review ladder mailing list." This list is for reviewing Perl code, and posting Perl code to be reviewed. Read on for more details.

"Part of the reason why I think some CPAN uploads are rubbish -- including some of my own -- is that people develop in isolation, and no one gets a chance to look over code before release. Other people can spot obvious mistakes or better ways to do something if they're a little further away from the action.

The idea behind the mailing list is that you can post your code to be reviewed, and if you get good feedback, you ought to feel some kind of moral obligation to help the next guy along. I've taken the concept from the go teaching ladder, where it seems to work quite well.

This isn't just for CPAN code, although improving CPAN is an intended goal. Post any code you'd like reviewed, and if we reach critical mass, you'll hopefully get some decent improvements on it."

• www.perlmonks.org

  (Score:3, Informative)

  by IlyaM (2933) <ilya@martynov.org> on 2003.09.02 9:28 (#23740)
  ( http://martynov.org/ | Last Journal: 2004.04.14 6:58 )

  People were posting there code for review for long time.

  --
  

  --
  Ilya Martynov (http://martynov.org/ [martynov.org])

  [ Reply to This ]
• My reply from Simon's Blog

  (Score:2)

  by samtregar (2699) on 2003.09.02 13:30 (#23749)
  ( http://sam.tregar.com/ | Last Journal: 2006.07.05 16:48 )

  The GTL is awesome. What I like so much about it is how perfectly impersonal it is. I put up a game to be reviewed, the gears turn and two weeks later out it comes. Sometimes it's a good one, sometimes it sucks but either way I say thanks and come back again later. Same thing for reviewers - you sign up and when a review lands in your inbox you take your best shot and send it back. I'd say it has the best user experience of any website I've ever used.

  Now, if you were going to create something that cool for Perl code reviews I'd be there today. But another mailing-list where some code will get posted for comments by the crowd? Where egos will flair and I'll get drawn into all kinds of silly wars over the particularities of Perl syntax? Thanks, but no thanks! PerlMonks, p5p and the mod_perl list more than fill my quota of that.

  Still, cool idea!
  -sam

  [ Reply to This ]
  • Premature evaluation by Simon (Score:3) 2003.09.03 5:22
• Perl Mentor Program

  (Score:2)

  by KM (4) on 2003.09.02 23:33 (#23764)
  ( Last Journal: 2005.09.14 9:50 )

  I spoke with some people a few years ago about and idea I had... doing a Perl Mentoring Program. I think it was during a meeting we had for those of us who do learning.perl.org and the beginners lists at an OSCON.
  
  I had some good ideas for it, buy no tuits. Basically, instead of being a mailing-list, people could sign up to be mentors (in specific categories if possible, or as code reviewers). Then, the mentors could take people under their wing to help them learn more about a specific topic (internals, module writing, OO, CGI, etc...), or general Perl hackery.
  
  This way the egos that Sam talks about wouldn't get in the way, since things would be private and no one would be having a pissing contest. Anyways, I still think that's a good idea... maybe someone will run with it.

  [ Reply to This ]
  • Re:Perl Mentor Program by uri (Score:2) 2003.09.03 0:11
    • Re:Perl Mentor Program

      (Score:4, Insightful)

      by KM (4) on 2003.09.03 0:36 (#23767)
      ( Last Journal: 2005.09.14 9:50 )

      Not many people do have tuits :) The idea behind the PMP (pronounced like 'pimp') was for someone how have only a few (or one) people to concentrate on at any time. Not random posts on a list or newsgroup. Someone they can really work with and spend as much time (duration) as the person needs. Like a Big Brother/Big Sister thing. And, isn't specifically to just to do a code review, give your $.02 on the code, and move on. Rather, to really help someone evolve as a programmer.
      
      It's nice to do things face to face, but unless everyone is being paid by a large company to be flown in to review code... that's simply unreasonable in most cases. So, online is what most people have (also phone). But, online does help. I was one Perl Monks early on, and have been list-dad of the beginners lists since day 1. I have seen many people go from only asking questions to answering them (correctly)... all online.
      

      [ Reply to This | Parent ]
    • Re:Perl Mentor Program by ziggy (Score:3) 2003.09.04 13:30
• Wow. Interesting!

  (Score:1)

  by jhiver (3562) on 2003.09.18 4:16 (#24295)

  This looks like an interesting idea. There are many areas which could benefit from this approach, such as:

  
  
  

  • 
       
  • Naming: finding short, meaningful, sensible name for classes / methods / functions / procedures / variables is a hard exercise. Somebody with a new look might come up with very interesting ideas.
  • 
    
       
  • Bloated code: Large chunks of code are usually hard to read. Small methods calling properly named objects / methods / etc. are usually much easier.
  • 
    
       
  • I sometimes find it difficult to come up with really short, understandable, sensible names for sometimes quite complex concepts.
  • 
    
    

    I think this definitely a good idea and a good investment if you plan to write code that is understandable and hackable by others. Count me in :)

  [ Reply to This ]