What is Code Inspection in Software Engineering ?

Prerequisite: Software Testing

The development of any software application/product goes through SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) where every phase is very important and needs to be followed accordingly to develop a quality software product. Inspection is such an important element which have a great impact on the software development process.

The software development team not only develops the software application rather during the coding phase of software development they check for any error in the code of the software which is called code verification. This code verification checks the software code in all aspects and finds out the errors that exist in the code. Generally, there are two types of code verification techniques available i.e.

1. Dynamic technique – It is performed by executing some test data and the outputs of the program are monitored to find errors in the software code.
2. Static technique – It is performed by executing the program conceptually and without any data. Code reading, static analysis, symbolic execution, code inspection, reviews, etc. are some of the commonly used static techniques.

Code Inspection :

Code inspection is a type of Static testing that aims to review the software code and examine for any errors. It helps reduce the ratio of defect multiplication and avoids later-stage error detection by simplifying all the initial error detection processes. This code inspection comes under the review process of any application.

How does it work?

• Moderator, Reader, Recorder, and Author are the key members of an Inspection team.
• Related documents are provided to the inspection team who then plan the inspection meeting and coordinate with inspection team members.
• If the inspection team is not aware of the project, the author provides an overview of the project and code to inspection team members.
• Then each inspection team performs code inspection by following some inspection checklists.
• After completion of the code inspection, conduct a meeting with all team members and analyze the reviewed code.

Purpose of code inspection :

1. It checks for any error that is present in the software code.
2. It identifies any required process improvement.
3. It checks whether the coding standard is followed or not.
4. It involves peer examination of codes.
5. It documents the defects in the software code.

Advantages Of Code Inspection :

• Improves overall product quality.
• Discovers the bugs/defects in software code.
• Marks any process enhancement in any case.
• Finds and removes defective efficiently and quickly.
• Helps to learn from previous defeats.

Disadvantages of Code Inspection:

• Requires extra time and planning.
• The process is a little slower.