Code review
Read a review
A review includes a merge recommendation, a summary, and the commit it checked. Each finding explains a problem, the affected code, and a suggested fix. Findings can include reproduction steps, observed results, and a prompt for your coding assistant.
Understand the recommendation
| Recommendation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ready to merge | Arcanist found no issue that blocks the merge. Check the evidence and your CI results. |
| Ready to merge with findings | The app can show this result when findings do not block the merge. Decide when to address them. |
| Hold off on merging | At least one finding needs a fix before you merge. |
GitHub uses Ready to merge for both clear reviews and reviews with only nonblocking findings. The GitHub comment lists blocking findings. Open the app or use the CLI for the full findings list.
Read the evidence
Each blocking finding explains what can go wrong and why the change causes it. Read the reproduction steps and results before applying a fix.
The summary can include a Ruled out section for problems Arcanist investigated and disproved. It can also show a blast radius, which describes who would be affected if the change failed. The next line, labeled "If this breaks:", explains the possible effect. Low means no customer would see a failure. High means all customers could be affected, or stored data or sent messages could be wrong.
If a finding is incorrect or missing context, reply to its GitHub thread with the relevant details. Resolve the thread when your team has decided how to address it.
Review new commits
A review applies to the commit it names. After a code change, start another review in the app or comment @tryarcanist /review again. Automatic reviews can also review new pushes when enabled in Settings.
From the second review onward, open Review history in the GitHub comment to compare results. Carried findings are marked still open, and newly reported findings are marked new. Fixed findings leave the list.
Understand GitHub approvals
Arcanist posts a comment by default. An admin can enable approval for clear reviews under Settings, then Reviews, then Approve. A review with findings never approves the pull request.
Arcanist does not request changes, merge your code, or deploy your application.