Software is only as good as the code. As most of the world’s code is written by people, the potential for human error remains high. From bugs to business logic, typos to architectural tragedies, problematic code can bring software applications crashing down.
The problem for many companies is that they don’t have the in-house resources to manage this challenge. If you outsource code review, you can save money and time on development efforts and make sure your team keeps moving forward.
Read on as we explore code-review-as-service and show you how Doppio can help Infor M3 customers face this challenge.
What is Code-Review-as-a-Service?
Code review is when another developer proofreads existing programming scripts, analyzing every line to provide comprehensive feedback to help the original developer eliminate technical debt and human errors, ultimately optimizing the code for peak performance.
This proactive approach to reviewing code comes before the production phase, which means teams can save time and effort by ensuring better quality code up-front.
By offering code-review-as-a-service, industry experts like Doppio Group can outsource their development expertise to help other companies that lack the time, resources, or in-house developers to manage code review effectively.
What is Technical Debt?
Technical debt, or code debt, is a programming concept where software developers prioritize speedy delivery of a software solution over writing perfect code. As the developers cut corners to expedite the process, this approach results in a less than optimal solution. Ergo, there is a technical debt, which the developers must fix in the future.
Here are a few examples where the problem of technical debt pervades enterprises that use Infor M3:
Unnecessary loops – Sending the program on surplus loops may slow down the application and deliver irrelevant or repetitive information to users.
Lack of comments – If you don’t annotate your code, it’s tough for others to understand the code functions and purpose.
Unreferenced variables – Forgetting to reference correctly will make it difficult to understand the code, especially when there are issues.
Duplicated/similar variables – With duplicates in your code, performance may suffer. Also, without clarity, it makes debugging harder.
Non-optimized structure – Poorly structured code will impact performance and make applications harder to scale.
Security vulnerabilities – If something is written in plain text when it should be coded, it could compromise the system.
The problem of technical debt isn’t contained to startups and small companies with limited development expertise. Even Fortune 500 enterprises encounter this issue as they attempt to accelerate production.
Benefits of using Doppio for Code Review as a Service
So, how can we help tackle this problem?
If your organization is struggling with technical debt and programming production issues, here are three significant benefits of using our code-review-as-a-service offering:
Unbiased Perspective
Our professionals serve as a third-party advisor, giving you an impartial perspective from outside the circle of developers who created your initial code. We will assess your existing software plan and evaluate the architecture quality and the source code.
Vulnerabilities Check
Security is paramount, especially in the cloud computing age. It’s easy to miss a vulnerability when you’ve pored over the same code for weeks or months. Sometimes, it takes a fresh set of eyes and outside expertise to identify every flaw. We’ll help you safeguard all your software applications from potential attacks by offering a meticulous review of every line in your code.
Code Quality Maintenance
It’s easy to think that code review is only about finding mistakes. However, another critical aspect of this field relates to the ongoing maintenance of your architecture. Just as consumers’ interests change and your markets evolve, your software must adapt. As you add new features and make changes throughout the application’s life cycle, vigilant code review ensures all code remains clean and ready to run.
What Kind Of Code Does Doppio Review?
For now, we’re focused solely on providing code reviews for MEC or IEC maps. We launched this service in 2021.
Doppio will soon extend its code-review-as-a-service tools and development expertise to cover issues with other Infor executables. We’ll update you when we’re about to roll that service out to our customers.
How does the MEC Code Review as a Service Work?
Let’s take a look at what our review process could include:
Use Case #1 – Readiness for Infor M3 Multi-tenant
Our expert developers review the maps running in on-premise installations and evaluate migration to a multi-tenant architecture.
We identify code that multi-tenant will not support and then recommend alternative solutions (with supported technologies) to enable your software to use the same functionality. For example:
-To use SQL directly in maps > reimplement with custom lists CMS100MI
-To use email notifications and error checking > use Infor OS workflows and tasks
Use Case #2 – Identify performance issues
After our initial review, we can pinpoint where your code impacts your software’s speed or functionality.
Anything that affects the user experience or the application’s functionalities is worth noting. We’ll leave no stone unturned as we want to help you develop the best version of your software.
Use Case #3- Recommend techniques to reduce hardcoding
As you minimize hard coding in your software, your maps become more flexible. As a result, the solution is more scalable and able to grow as your organization grows.
Furthermore, less hard coding will reduce the need for future code changes, so we shift your architecture to a configuration-first approach, using code only for what is necessary.
Use Case #4 – Maintenance suggestions
Cleaner code is easier to understand, making it more accessible and intuitive for new developers when they need to perform maintenance tasks.
With our evaluation of your maps, we can highlight problem areas that need additional comments or documentation to support the code. Also, we provide advice on how you can refactor any hard-to-read code so that it’s easier to maintain over time.
How to Get Started with the Code-Review-as-a-Service from Doppio
Dealing with technical debt and coding issues is a complex process. Getting started with our code-review-as-service is not.
After formalizing a project, we’ll take a big leap toward better code in days by following these simple steps:
1.Export your MEC maps (as .zap files) to a shared drive. Once you share that with us, we’ll assign a dedicated consultant to review your code.
2.Please wait for us to finish our review. We’ll be in touch when we have identified the technical debt issues and the critical areas for improvement. At that point, we’ll send you some log-in details to access the Doppio Code Review platform.
3.Access your code review on our platform at your convenience, and review the feedback from our Infor M3 experts. Take your time to explore our recommendations of best practices and suggested changes.
4.Hop on a call for a walk-through session with your Doppio consultant, where we’ll answer any questions you have and provide additional context and guidance to help resolve all technical debt issues in your code.
Wrap Up
With a well-defined code review process, developers can identify issues before they cause problems, ensuring apps run smoothly and production doesn’t stall. By the end of our extensive audit, you’ll have the constructive, actionable feedback you need to remediate all issues and achieve your goals.
Our team of Infor M3 consultants is ready to help your company eliminate technical debt and enhance your software applications’ performance and user experience.
Get in touch with Doppio Group by filling out the contact form to chat about your code review challenges.
