How would a developer check if a content author is able to edit a specific piece of content in Sitecore?

Consulting the Access Viewer is the correct approach for a developer to check if a content author has permissions to edit a specific piece of content in Sitecore. The Access Viewer provides a visual representation of user roles and security settings for specific content items, allowing developers to see exactly what permissions a user has in relation to content editing. This tool simplifies the process of verifying permissions by showing which users or roles have read or write access to a content item, making it straightforward to determine if the content author can make edits.

The other options do not serve this purpose as directly. Reviewing content history provides insights into previous changes and the authorship of those changes, but it does not indicate current permissions. Accessing the template settings might show how a content item is structured or what fields it has, but it does not relate to user permissions. Examining the content item settings can offer details about the content itself but lacks the user-centric focus necessary to assess editing rights effectively.