Code walk through is an informal code analysis technique. In this technique, after a module has been coded, successfully compiled and all syntax errors eliminated. A few members of the development team are given the code few days before the walk through meeting to read and understand code. Each member selects some test cases and simulates execution of the code by hand (i.e. trace execution through each statement and function execution). The main objectives of the walk through are to discover the algorithmic and logical errors in the code. The members note down their findings to discuss these in a walk through meeting where the coder of the module is present. Even though a code walk through is an informal analysis technique, several guidelines have evolved over the years for making this naïve but useful analysis technique more effective. Of course, these guidelines are based on personal experience, common sense, and several subjective factors. Therefore, these guidelines should be considered as examples rather than accepted as rules to be applied dogmatically. Some of these guidelines are the following:
- The team performing code walk through should not be either too big or too small. Ideally, it should consist of between three to seven members
- Discussion should focus on discovery of errors and not on how to fix the discovered errors.
- In order to foster cooperation and to avoid the feeling among engineers that they are being evaluated in the code walk through meeting, managers should not attend the walk through meetings