review app
/rɪˈvjuː æp/noun
A review app is a temporary, working version of an application where one branch or merge request can be examined and tested separately.
The product owner checks the new checkout step in the review app before the change is merged.
A review app makes a software change accessible before it reaches production. It runs separately from production and usually from other changes as well. Developers, testers and other participants can see exactly what a particular change does.
How is a review app created?
A Glossary · In briefCI/CDCI/CD is a way of working in which teams frequently merge software changes, check them automatically and use a defined sequence of steps to prepare or deploy them to production.Read more creates a separate Glossary · In briefdeploymentA deployment is the process of installing and starting a chosen software version in a target environment so it can be tested or used there.Read more for a Glossary · In briefbranchA branch is a separate line of development in version control. Developers can make and test changes on it without immediately changing the main version of the code.Read more or merge request. It often gets its own web address for the team to share. A new Glossary · In briefcommitA commit is a recorded version of files in a version control system. Each commit marks a point in a project's development history.Read more updates the same environment so the latest version is ready for review.
After the branch is merged or closed, the environment can stop automatically. Temporary environments do not keep consuming server capacity unnecessarily. The setup varies by project: a review app may contain test data or connect to separate test versions of other services.
Review apps and staging
Staging is usually a shared environment where several changes are tested together. A review app belongs to one change. The team can gather feedback without waiting for other work to finish, and errors are easier to associate with that change.
A review app does not replace automated tests or acceptance testing. It mainly helps people view and assess working software early. A reliable Glossary · In briefreleaseA release is an identifiable software version prepared to be made available to users. It brings together one or more checked changes.Read more still requires checks on integration, security and behaviour in production.