Constructive Feedback

Let’s look at how to give constructive feedback in code reviews. We’ll show you a simple example and explain why the feedback matters.

The Scenario

A developer has written a function to calculate the total price of items in a shopping cart. The code may work but could be improved.

// Before
function calculateTotal(items) {
  let total = 0
  for (let i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
    total += items.price
  }
  return total
}

How will you comment on this code?

Choose the option that you think is the most constructive and helpful.

Itsik Mamancommented on Apr 2, 2025

This code could be improved. Consider using reduce instead of a for loop.

🚫

Less Helpful Approach

• It Doesn’t explain why the change is better.
• Doesn’t acknowledge the working code.
• Feels critical without being constructive.
• Doesn’t point out potential bugs (like the missing items[i]).

Itsik Mamancommented on Apr 2, 2025

Thanks for implementing the total calculation! The reduce method makes the code more concise and easier to read. It also handles edge cases better, like an empty array. Here’s how we can improve it:

calculateTotal.ts

// After
function calculateTotal(items) {
  return items.reduce((total, item) => total + item.price, 0)
}