Code Inspections & Walkthroughs

Code Inspections & Walkthroughs

Code inspections and walkthroughs are structured peer review techniques that help find defects early. They are among the most effective quality assurance techniques, often finding 60-90% of defects before testing begins.

Types of Code Reviews

  +---------------------------------------------------------+
  |              CODE REVIEW TYPES                           |
  +---------------------------------------------------------+
  |                                                         |
  |   WALKTHROUGH                                          |
  |   - Informal presentation by the author                 |
  |   - Purpose: share knowledge, get feedback              |
  |   - No formal roles or checklist                        |
  |                                                         |
  |   TECHNICAL REVIEW                                     |
  |   - Focused on technical content                        |
  |   - Led by a technical lead                             |
  |   - Examines design and implementation                  |
  |                                                         |
  |   FORMAL INSPECTION (Fagan Inspection)                  |
  |   - Most formal and rigorous                            |
  |   - Defined roles: moderator, author, reader, recorder  |
  |   - Uses checklists and defect logging                  |
  |   - Finds defects through systematic examination        |
  |                                                         |
  |   PEER REVIEW                                           |
  |   - Informal review by colleagues                       |
  |   - Common in modern agile teams                        |
  |   - Often done via pull requests                        |
  |                                                         |
  +---------------------------------------------------------+

Fagan Inspection Steps

  1. PLANNING
     - Moderator selects team and distributes materials
     - Code is assigned for review

  2. OVERVIEW
     - Author presents the code and design decisions
     - Questions are answered

  3. PREPARATION
     - Each reviewer studies the code independently
     - Uses checklists to guide examination

  4. INSPECTION MEETING
     - Reader (not author) walks through the code line by line
     - Recorder logs all defects found
     - Discussion focuses on finding issues, not fixing them

  5. Rework
     - Author fixes all logged defects

  6. Follow-up
     - Moderator verifies all defects are addressed

Review Checklists

• Does the code follow coding standards?
• Are there any logic errors or edge cases missed?
• Is error handling appropriate?
• Are variable names clear and meaningful?
• Is the code well-documented where needed?
• Are there any security vulnerabilities?

Key Takeaways

• Code reviews find defects earlier and cheaper than testing
• Formal inspections are most effective for critical code
• Walkthroughs and peer reviews share knowledge across the team
• Always use checklists to ensure consistency