Review the System, Not Just the Diff
Identify when a reviewer must inspect surrounding context before commenting.
The diff is the starting point, not the boundary of responsibility. A reviewer should widen the frame when a changed line depends on behavior outside the visible hunk. That includes callers, tests, generated outputs, config, migrations, and documentation. The goal is not exhaustive archaeology; it is enough context to know whether the change improves or weakens the system. When to widen Widen when the code touches shared helpers, public APIs, permissions, money, time, concurrency, migrations, or user-visible UI. These are places where a local-looking edit can create non-local consequences. What to say Comments become sharper when they cite the surrounding…
Sign up free — one personalized lesson every day, matched to your role and goals.
Already have an account? Sign in