requesting-code-review

name	requesting-code-review
description	Use when completing tasks, implementing major features, or before merging to verify work meets requirements

Requesting Code Review

Portable helper anchor (single-statement). The bundled-helper commands in this skill resolve the skill directory inline at each call site via ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR:-<absolute skill base directory this runner reports in context>}. When $CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR is set and non-empty (Claude Code), run each command exactly as written. On a runner where it is unset or empty, replace the placeholder with the skill base directory the runner reports in context (e.g. a Base directory for this skill: line) before running the command; if that reported path is Windows-form (C:\...), first convert it to this shell's POSIX form with one standalone wslpath -u '<path>' (WSL) or cygpath -u '<path>' (Git Bash/MSYS2) command and substitute the printed result only if the command succeeds and prints a non-empty path — otherwise fall through to the drive-letter rules exactly as if the tool were absent, the same success-and-non-empty acceptance the platform's path-normalization rules apply (if neither tool exists: lowercase the drive letter, map C:\ to /mnt/c on WSL or /c on MSYS2, and turn backslashes into /; if the environment is neither WSL nor MSYS2, use the path unchanged and report that it could not be normalized — the same arm the platform's path-normalization rules take). Resolve the anchor inline at every call site — never capture it into a shell variable that a later statement reads, because some runners' inline-bash marshaling drops such variables (observed on Copilot CLI). If neither $CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR nor a runner-reported base directory is available, stop and report that the helper anchor could not be resolved rather than running a command with a broken path.

Consumer prompt extension (load first). Before doing this skill's work, load any consumer-supplied prompt extension for this skill and honor it. From the repo root, run:

"${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR:-<absolute skill base directory this runner reports in context>}"/../../scripts/load-prompt-extension.sh requesting-code-review

If the invocation fails because the helper path does not exist (No such file, exit 127, or the platform equivalent), that is the anchor-resolution failure described in the Portable helper anchor note above — fix the anchor, don't report a missing extension. Otherwise, if the helper exits non-zero, a consumer extension exists but could not be loaded — surface its stderr message and do not silently proceed as if none existed. If it exits 0 and prints text, treat that text as additional instructions appended to the end of this skill's own prompt for this run — it is upgrade-safe, consumer-owned customization committed under .devflow/prompt-extensions/. If it exits 0 and prints nothing, proceed unchanged.

When a dispatching prompt supplies an explicit helper command (an orchestrator that invokes this skill inside a subagent may pre-resolve the helper path and hand you the exact command to run for this prompt extension), run that supplied command verbatim in place of the anchor recipe above — do not resolve the anchor yourself for this helper — and interpret its outcome by the same exit-code rules just stated. The anchor recipe above remains the behavior for a direct invocation of this skill, where no command is supplied.

Dispatch a code reviewer subagent to catch issues before they cascade. The reviewer gets precisely crafted context for evaluation — never your session's history. This keeps the reviewer focused on the work product, not your thought process, and preserves your own context for continued work.

Core principle: Review early, review often.

When to Request Review

Mandatory:

• After each task in subagent-driven development
• After completing major feature
• Before merge to main

Optional but valuable:

• When stuck (fresh perspective)
• Before refactoring (baseline check)
• After fixing complex bug

How to Request

1. Get git SHAs:

BASE_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD~1)  # or origin/main
HEAD_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD)

2. Dispatch code reviewer subagent:

Dispatch a general-purpose subagent, filling the template at code-reviewer.md

Placeholders:

• {DESCRIPTION} - Brief summary of what you built
• {PLAN_OR_REQUIREMENTS} - What it should do
• {BASE_SHA} - Starting commit
• {HEAD_SHA} - Ending commit

3. Act on feedback:

• Fix Critical issues immediately
• Fix Important issues before proceeding
• Note Minor issues for later
• Push back if reviewer is wrong (with reasoning)

State Mutation Evidence for the Tests You Present

When the change you send for review adds or alters tests, a green run is not evidence those tests work — a vacuous test passes too. State the mutation evidence for each test you present: which behavior you broke to confirm the test fails, and that it failed for the reason it pins. A review request that presents new or changed tests without their mutation evidence asks the reviewer to trust a green suite that may be asserting nothing.

Example

[Just completed Task 2: Add verification function]

You: Let me request code review before proceeding.

BASE_SHA=$(git log --oneline | grep "Task 1" | head -1 | awk '{print $1}')
HEAD_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD)

[Dispatch code reviewer subagent]
  DESCRIPTION: Added verifyIndex() and repairIndex() with 4 issue types
  PLAN_OR_REQUIREMENTS: Task 2 from the implementation plan
  BASE_SHA: a7981ec
  HEAD_SHA: 3df7661

[Subagent returns]:
  Strengths: Clean architecture, real tests
  Issues:
    Important: Missing progress indicators
    Minor: Magic number (100) for reporting interval
  Assessment: Ready to proceed

You: [Fix progress indicators]
[Continue to Task 3]

Integration with Workflows

Subagent-Driven Development:

• Review after EACH task
• Catch issues before they compound
• Fix before moving to next task

Executing Plans:

• Review after each task or at natural checkpoints
• Get feedback, apply, continue

Ad-Hoc Development:

• Review before merge
• Review when stuck

Red Flags

Never:

• Skip review because "it's simple"
• Ignore Critical issues
• Proceed with unfixed Important issues
• Argue with valid technical feedback

If reviewer wrong:

• Push back with technical reasoning
• Show code/tests that prove it works
• Request clarification

See template at: code-reviewer.md