Architecture
Breakdown, dependencies between modules and services, coupling, points of failure, ability to evolve.
Audit · code review · technical debt
Python / C++ code and architecture audit
Take stock of an application before taking it over, extending it or rebuilding it. Sébastien Mizrahi, senior software architect in Lyon, audits the code and architecture of Python and C++ software and delivers a prioritised action plan.
When should you have your code audited?
- Before taking over an application built by another team or a contractor.
- Before a rebuild, a technical migration or scaling up.
- When changes become slow, risky or expensive.
- When software has to meet safety, security or compliance requirements.
- When a large part of the code was produced with AI assistants and has not been reviewed.
The aim is not to judge a team, but to make the risks visible and decide, with full knowledge of the facts, what to fix first.
What is examined
Six areas of analysis
Code quality
Readability, duplication, complexity, adherence to conventions, technical debt and risk areas.
Tests
Useful coverage, automated tests, reproducibility, what is not tested and should be.
Security
Secrets management, vulnerable dependencies, input validation, permissions and service exposure.
Performance
Bottlenecks, expensive queries, memory management and concurrency, asynchronous tasks.
Deployment and operations
Containers, configuration, continuous integration, monitoring, backups and rollback.
Process
How an audit works
Scope
Goals of the audit, scope, constraints and questions to settle.
Analyse
Reading the code and architecture, analysis tooling, discussions with the team.
Report back
Presentation of the findings, risks and priorities, questions and answers.
Plan
Prioritised recovery plan, estimate, support with implementation if needed.
Hands-on experience
Code reviews have long been part of my job: at Keranova (2020 - 2022), on the software of a laser surgery robot subject to the IEC 62304 standard, I organised the software team and the code reviews. At SQLI, as quality assurance manager, I helped project managers apply CMMI quality processes.
For SOGo 6 (Alinto), the rebuild started with technical studies, an architecture proposal and prototypes before any development. For One Hour Escape Game, taking over an existing web server led to a completely redesigned architecture on Docker.
See also: Python software architect in Lyon, certified Python expert, certified C++ expert.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions, my answers
What does a code audit include?
An assessment of the architecture, code quality, tests, security, performance and deployment, with a list of risks ranked by severity, concrete recommendations and a prioritised recovery plan.
How much does a code audit cost?
The indicative rate is €68 per hour. An audit is covered by a fixed-price quote drawn up after the scoping phase, based on the size of the software and the questions to settle: the cost is known before we start.
How long does an audit take?
It depends on the size of the software and the questions to settle. The duration and scope are set during the scoping phase, before we start.
Do I need to give access to the source code?
Yes, read access, along with the available documentation and a discussion with the team. Access is limited to what is strictly necessary and confidentiality is respected.
Do you audit AI-generated code?
Yes. Code produced with AI assistants deserves a careful review: consistency with the architecture, security, error handling and tests are the points most often weak.
Can you fix things after the audit?
Yes: I can carry out all or part of the recovery plan, or support your team with code reviews and architecture sessions.
Let's get in touch
A demanding project? Let's talk architecture.
From Chaponost, near Lyon, on site or remotely. A quick reply with a first analysis of your needs.