Database and native tool maker DevArt has released version 2.5 of its Review Assistant peer code review tool for Visual Studio.

The release comes with several new features and upgrades, including improved server performance, a secure SSL connection, and the ability to install Review Assistant on PCs without Visual Studio, allowing developers and managers to monitor code review independently of Microsoft’s IDE.

Other added features in Review Assistant 2.5 include:
• A custom check-in policy for TFS used to make sure that all changes pass code review before the check-in into a version control system
• The ability to simultaneously see all accessible reviews from multiple projects, and switch a project from Code Review Board
• Highlighting file recovers when using the Replace Recent Revisions command
• Product registration available via the client UI
• An installation shortcut to run the Review Assistant client
• The ability to add an Active Directory user by double-clicking
• User profile now includes an “e-mail notification level” setting to adjust notification preferences.

More information on some of the new features, particularly the TFS custom check-in policy, is available here.