Software Testing - Review

Software is reviewed in various ways to reduce the chances of human error, and to enhance its quality. A review is a very critical step of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). The software review is a methodical inspection of the software by a single or a group of personnel working collectively to detect, and fix defects from the very beginning of the SDLC.

What is Software Review?

The software review is also a very integral part of the SDLC which helps to verify the quality, features, other important parameters, and modules of the software. It involves the complete procedure to verify the software, and to confirm that it is working properly as per the requirements shared by the customers.

Objectives of Software Review

The objectives of the software review are listed below −

• The software review enhances the efficiency of the development team.
• The software review works towards making the testing activities short, and cost saving.
• The software review minimizes the probability of finding defects in the production. It identifies flaws in the complete software development process.

Process of Software Review

The process of the software review are listed below −

Step 1 − The first step involves the entry evaluation. In this step, the complete documentation, initial requirements, and feedback from the stakeholders are gathered which adds to the overall reliability of the software.

Step 2 − The second step involves the management of the complete review process. It involves the assignment of the roles and responsibilities, collecting the resources, and other management related activities.

Step 3 − The third step involves the planning of the complete review process. It involves defining the objectives and scopes for the review, sending review meeting invites to the concerned parties, timings etc.

Step 4 − The fourth step involves the preparation of the complete review process. It involves segregation of the correct resources, providing appropriate time for the reviewers, and to detect errors.

Step 5 − The fifth step involves the analysis and exit evaluation of the complete review process. It involves going through the outcomes, taking corrective actions on errors, and to assess the overall quality of the software development process.

Types of Software Review

The different types of the software review are listed below −

1. Peer Review

It is the technique of reviewing the source code of fellow developers. It involves checking the test cases created by the team mates, providing the required suggestions, and to reduce the issues encountered at time of testing. The different types of peer review include code review, pair programming, walkthrough, technical review, and inspection.

2. Management Review

It is the technique used to assess the status of progress of the work.

3. Software Audit Review

It is an exterior review in which a single or multiple reviewers who are outside the development team, take up self-sufficient inspection of the software development processes to check if they are working as per the standards, requirements, specifications, and compliances.

Advantages of Software Review

The advantages of the software review are listed below −

• The software review detects defects from the early stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC).
• The early identification of defects reduces the maintenance cost of the software. It determines the in competencies in the software development process which may result in bugs in the future.
• The software review guides the technical authors.

Conclusion

This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Review. Weve started with describing what is software review, what are the objectives of the software review, what is the process of the software review, what are the different types of the software review, and what are the advantages of the software review. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of the Software Review. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.