Software review and formal technical review

Software review:

A software review is an effective way of filtering errors in a software product. Reviews conducted at each of these phases i.e., analysis, design, coding, and testing reveal areas of improvement in the product. Reviews also indicate those areas that do not need any improvement. We can use software reviews to achieve consistency and uniformity across products. Reviews also make the task of product creation more manageable. Some of the most common software review techniques are:
i. Inspection
ii. Walkthrough
iii. Code review
iv. Formal Technical Reviews (FTR)
v. Pair programming

Formal technical review (FTR):

1. A formal technical review is a software quality assurance activity performed by software engineers.
2. In addition, the FTR serves as a training ground, enabling junior engineers to observe the different approaches to software analysis, design, and implementation.
3. The objectives of FTR are
   i. To uncover errors in function, logic, or implementation for representation of software.
   ii. To verify that software under review meets its requirements.
   iii. To ensure that the software has been represented according to predefined standards.
   iv. To achieve software that is developed in a uniform manner. v. To make projects more manageable.

Steps required to conduct a successful FTR:

1. The review meeting

• Every review meeting should be conducted by considering the following constraints:
  a. Short duration Advance preparation
  b. Involvement of people
  c. walkthrough
• Rather than attempting to review the entire design; is conducted for modules or for a small group of modules.
• The focus of the FTR is on the work product (a software component to be review). The review meeting is attend by the review leader., all reviewers, and the producer.
• One of the reviewers becomes a recorder who records all the important issues raised during the review. When errors are discovere, the recorder notes each error.
• At the end of the review, the attendees decide whether to accept the product or not, with or without modification.

2. Review reporting and record-keeping

• During the FTR, the reviewer actively records all the issues that have been raised.
• At the end of the meeting, these all raised issues are consolidating and a review issues list is prepare.
  Finally, a formal technical review summary report is produce.

3. Review guidelines

• Guidelines for the conducting of formal technical review must be establish in advance.
• These guidelines must be distribute to all reviewers, agree upon, and then followed.

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