Walkthrough in Software Engineering

Prerequisite:

• What is software engineering?
• What is the difference between an Inspection and Walkthrough?
  

The walkthrough is a review meeting process but it is different from the  Inspection, as it does not involve any formal process i.e. it is a nonformal process. Basically, the walkthrough [review meeting process] is started by the Author of the code.

In the walkthrough, the code or document is read by the author, and others who are present in the meeting can note down the important points or can write notes on the defects and can give suggestions about them. The walkthrough is an informal way of testing, no formal authority is been involved in this testing.

As there is an informal way of testing involved so there is no need for a moderator while performing a walkthrough. We can call a walkthrough an open-ended discussion, it does not focus on the documentation. Defect tracking is one of the challenging tasks in the walkthrough.

Advantages and Objectives of Walkthrough: 

Following are some of the objectives of the walkthrough.

• To detect defects in developed software products.
• To fully understand and learn the development of software products.
• To properly explain and discuss the information present in the document.
• To verify the validity of the proposed system.
• To give suggestions and report them appropriately with new solutions and ideas.
• To provide an early “proof of concept”.

Types of Review:

• Walkthrough
• Technical review
• Inspection 

REVIEW TYPES

Technical Review:

The technical review is a less formal way of reviewing a meeting process. It is process which is performed to give assurance about software quality. In Technical review process, the testing activity is performed by software engineers and other persons. 

Here a work product is been inspected and reviewed for defects and other errors by individuals rather than the person who have produced it. The technical review is performed as a peer review without any management involved. So in context, the technical review varies from informal to quite formal.

Objectives of Technical Review:

Following are some of the objectives of Technical Review.

• To create more reliable and manageable project.
• To find technical error and defects.
•  To inform participants who have participated in technical review, about the technical content of document.
• To maintain consistency of technical concepts.
• To ensure that the software fulfils the requirements for which it is built.

Inspection:

Inspection is a more formal way of reviewing a meeting process. In inspection the documents are checked thoroughly and reviewed by reviewer’s before the meeting. it basically involves peers to examine the product or software.

A preparation is been carried out separately in which the product is been examined properly and scanned for any defects or errors. The process of inspection is led and done by trained moderators. A formal follow up is carried out by this trained moderators. Inspection is been done to improve the product quality more efficiently.

Objectives of Inspection:

Following are some of the objectives of Inspection.

• To efficiently improve the quality of a software or product.
• To create common understanding between individuals who are been involved in the inspection.
• To remove defects and errors as early as possible.
• To learn and improve from defects which are been found during inspection.
• Helping author to improve and increase the quality of product which is been developed.