In software engineering
Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development.
A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. The term '' ...
, a walkthrough or walk-through is a form of
software peer review
In software development, peer review is a type of software review in which a work product (document, code, or other) is examined by author's colleagues, in order to evaluate the work product's technical content and quality.
Purpose
The purpose ...
"in which a designer or programmer leads members of the development team and other interested parties through a software product, and the participants ask questions and make comments about possible errors, violation of development standards, and other problems".
IEEE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
Std. 1028-1997, ''IEEE Standard for Software Reviews'', clause 3.8
"Software product" normally refers to some kind of technical document. As indicated by the IEEE definition, this might be a
software design document
A software design description (a.k.a. software design document or SDD; just design document; also Software Design Specification) is a representation of a software design that is to be used for recording design information, addressing various de ...
or program
source code
In computing, source code, or simply code, is any collection of code, with or without comments, written using a human-readable programming language, usually as plain text. The source code of a program is specially designed to facilitate the wo ...
, but
use cases
In software and systems engineering, the phrase use case is a polyseme with two senses:
# A usage scenario for a piece of software; often used in the plural to suggest situations where a piece of software may be useful.
# A potential scenario ...
,
business process
A business process, business method or business function is a collection of related, structured activities or tasks by people or equipment in which a specific sequence produces a service or product (serves a particular business goal) for a parti ...
definitions,
test case
In software engineering, a test case is a specification of the inputs, execution conditions, testing procedure, and expected results that define a single test to be executed to achieve a particular software testing objective, such as to exercise ...
specifications, and a variety of other technical documentation may also be walked through.
A walkthrough differs from
software technical review
A software technical review is a form of peer review in which "a team of qualified personnel ... examines the suitability of the software product for its intended use and identifies discrepancies from specifications and standards. Technical review ...
s in its openness of structure and its objective of familiarization. It differs from
software inspection
Inspection in software engineering, refers to peer review of any work product by trained individuals who look for defects using a well defined process. An inspection might also be referred to as a Fagan inspection after Michael Fagan, the creato ...
in its ability to suggest direct alterations to the product reviewed. It lacks of direct focus on training and process improvement, process and product measurement.
Process
A walkthrough may be quite informal, or may follow the process detailed in IEEE 1028 and outlined in the article on
software review
A software review is "a process or meeting during which a software product is examined by a project personnel, managers, users, customers, user representatives, or other interested parties for comment or approval".IEEE Std . 1028-1997, "IEEE Standa ...
s.
Objectives and participants
In general, a walkthrough has one or two broad objectives: to gain feedback about the technical quality or content of the document; and/or to familiarize the audience with the content.
A walkthrough is normally organized and directed by the author of the technical document. Any combination of interested or technically qualified personnel (from within or outside the project) may be included as seems appropriate.
IEEE 1028
[ recommends three specialist roles in a walkthrough:
*The author, who presents the software product in step-by-step manner at the walk-through meeting, and is probably responsible for completing most action items;
*The walkthrough leader, who conducts the walkthrough, handles administrative tasks, and ensures orderly conduct (and who is often the Author); and
*The recorder, who notes all anomalies (potential defects), decisions, and action items identified during the walkthrough meetings.
]
See also
* Cognitive walkthrough The cognitive walkthrough method is a usability inspection method used to identify usability issues in interactive systems, focusing on how easy it is for new users to accomplish tasks with the system. A cognitive walkthrough is task-specific, wher ...
* Reverse walkthrough {{unreferenced, date=June 2014
A reverse walkthrough is a process in which the reader or consumer of a technical product takes the author through it. A reverse walkthrough is a confirmation that the consumers of a technical product have the same un ...
*Software review
A software review is "a process or meeting during which a software product is examined by a project personnel, managers, users, customers, user representatives, or other interested parties for comment or approval".IEEE Std . 1028-1997, "IEEE Standa ...
References
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Software review