Streamlining Code Reviews: Hiding Generated Files to Boost Engineering Team Metrics

In the fast-paced world of software development, efficient code reviews are paramount for maintaining code quality and boosting overall engineering team metrics. However, a common frustration for many developers stems from the clutter of machine-generated files within Pull Request (PR) "Files changed" lists on platforms like GitHub.

A recent discussion on the GitHub Community forum, initiated by user jml6m, highlights a critical need for a more refined approach to handling these files. The core issue? While existing .gitattributes settings like linguist-generated=true successfully collapse diffs for files such as package-lock.json or yarn.lock, these files still appear in the PR's file list, inflate the "Files Changed" count, and present a "Viewed" checkbox that reviewers are often compelled to interact with, despite the files being unreviewable by humans.

The Problem: Unnecessary Noise and Cognitive Load

The discussion points out several pain points that directly impact developer productivity and the accuracy of review processes:

• Cognitive Overload: A PR might show "12 files changed" when only 11 are actual source code requiring human attention. This misrepresentation forces reviewers to mentally filter out irrelevant changes.
• Workflow Friction: The "Viewed" progress bar becomes inaccurate. Reviewers must manually click into a 5,000-line lockfile, which they cannot meaningfully audit, just to mark it as "Viewed." This adds unnecessary steps and dilutes the value of the review progress indicator.
• Cluttered Navigation: On larger PRs, the presence of numerous generated files clutters the file tree navigation, making it harder for reviewers to quickly locate and focus on the critical human-authored code changes.

As user stychu eloquently put it, "It’s a total nightmare to open a PR and see 'thousands of lines changed' only to realize it's just a lockfile update because of a single dependency change. It creates so much unnecessary noise and makes it harder to focus on the actual logic changes that need a human eye."

The Proposed Solution: A New .gitattributes Attribute

To address these challenges, the community proposes a new attribute for .gitattributes, such as linguist-hidden or github-pr-hide. This attribute would signal to the platform that while a file tracks version history, it should be entirely excluded from the Code Review interface by default.

An example usage would look like this:

package-lock.json linguist-hidden=true

The desired outcome is for these files to be completely removed from the "Files changed" left-hand navigation and the main diff view. They could potentially be accessible via a "Show hidden files" toggle filter, but critically, they would no longer contribute to the total count of files requiring review.

Impact on Engineering Team Metrics and Review Efficiency

Implementing such a feature would have a profound positive impact on engineering team metrics related to code review efficiency and quality. By reducing visual noise and cognitive load, developers can:

• Accelerate Review Cycles: Reviewers can immediately focus on relevant code, leading to faster review times and quicker merge rates.
• Improve Review Quality: With less distraction, reviewers can dedicate more attention to critical logic, potentially catching more bugs and improving overall code quality.
• Enhance Developer Satisfaction: A cleaner, more intuitive review interface reduces frustration, contributing to a more positive developer experience.
• Accurate Progress Tracking: The "Viewed" status would genuinely reflect human review progress, providing more reliable data for software developer analytics on review engagement.

This simple yet powerful enhancement would allow teams to maintain clean diffs and focus strictly on human-authored code, ultimately fostering a more productive and less frustrating development environment. It's a clear example of how thoughtful UI/UX improvements can significantly boost developer productivity and contribute to stronger engineering team metrics.