Respond to Feedback

Code review is a normal part of contributing. Learn how to handle feedback professionally and improve your contribution.

Understanding Code Review

Code review is when maintainers or other contributors review your changes to ensure:

• Code quality
• Consistency with project standards
• No bugs or issues
• Proper documentation

Types of Feedback

1. Requested Changes

Changes you must make before your PR can be merged.

Example:

"Please add error handling to this function"

How to respond:

• Make the requested changes
• Commit and push
• Reply to the comment when done

2. Suggestions

Optional improvements that would make the code better.

Example:

"Consider using a more descriptive variable name"

How to respond:

• Evaluate the suggestion
• Implement if it improves the code
• Politely explain if you disagree

3. Questions

Clarifications about your approach or implementation.

Example:

"Why did you choose this approach?"

How to respond:

• Explain your reasoning
• Be open to alternative approaches
• Ask for clarification if needed

How to Make Changes

Step 1: Read All Feedback

Don't rush! Read all comments carefully before making changes.

Step 2: Make the Changes Locally

# Make sure you're on the right branch
git checkout your-branch-name

# Make the requested changes
# Edit the files as needed

# Stage and commit
git add .
git commit -m "Fix: Address review feedback"

Step 3: Push the Changes

git push

The pull request will automatically update!

Step 4: Respond to Comments

• Reply to each comment
• Explain what you changed
• Ask questions if unclear
• Thank reviewers for their time

Example Responses

Good Responses ✅

Thanks for the feedback! I've:
- Added error handling as requested
- Renamed the variable to `userEmail`
- Updated the documentation

Let me know if there's anything else!

Good point! I chose this approach because [reason].
However, I'm open to alternatives. What do you suggest?

I'm not sure I understand this comment. Could you provide
an example of what you'd like to see?

Poor Responses ❌

No, my way is better.

I don't want to change it.

Whatever, I'll do it.

Handling Different Situations

Situation 1: You Disagree

Do:

• Explain your reasoning politely
• Be open to discussion
• Consider their perspective
• Compromise if needed

Example:

"I understand your concern. I chose this approach because [reason]. However, if you feel strongly about it, I'm happy to change it. What do you think?"

Situation 2: You Don't Understand

Do:

• Ask for clarification
• Request examples
• Admit when you don't know something

Example:

"I'm not familiar with that pattern. Could you provide an example or point me to some documentation?"

Situation 3: Conflicting Feedback

Do:

• Ask reviewers to discuss
• Seek clarification from maintainers
• Wait for consensus

Example:

"I'm getting conflicting feedback on this. @maintainer, could you provide guidance on the preferred approach?"

Best Practices

Do's ✅

• Be Professional - Stay courteous and respectful
• Be Responsive - Reply within a reasonable time
• Be Open-Minded - Consider all feedback seriously
• Be Patient - Reviews take time
• Learn - Use feedback to improve your skills
• Thank Reviewers - Appreciate their time and effort

Don'ts ❌

• Don't Take it Personally - It's about the code, not you
• Don't Be Defensive - Stay open to suggestions
• Don't Ignore Feedback - Address all comments
• Don't Rush - Take time to make quality changes
• Don't Argue - Discuss professionally
• Don't Ghost - Communicate if you need time

After Approval

Once your PR is approved:

1. Wait for Merge - Maintainers will merge your PR
2. Celebrate - You've made a contribution! 🎉
3. Stay Engaged - Watch for any post-merge issues
4. Find Next Issue - Keep contributing!

Learning from Feedback

Every code review is a learning opportunity:

• Note Common Feedback - Avoid repeating mistakes
• Study Suggestions - Learn new patterns and techniques
• Ask Questions - Deepen your understanding
• Improve - Apply lessons to future contributions

Next Steps

• Find your next issue
• Explore more repositories
• Join the community