STRUCTURED WALKTHROUGHS 1

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STRUCTURED WALKTHROUGHS 1

• Structured walkthroughs are a series of reviews
  designed to detect the errors made in an item of
  documentation, a diagram or a piece of code
• As such, a walkthrough is not a review of people
  but more as a review of the documentation itself.

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STRUCTURED WALKTHROUGHS 2

• Also, it is important to remove as many mistakes
  as soon as possible, since the cost of undetected
  mistakes can be high.
• A walkthrough is a peer group review.
• This means that the review involves other systems
  analysts who are working with you, as well as
  users, programmers, systems designers, operations
  people etc.

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TYPES OF WALKTHROUGHS

• analysis walkthroughs
• design walkthroughs
• code walkthroughs
• test walkthroughs

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Why do we have Walkthroughs?

• To improve system quality
• To spot errors as quickly and economically as
  possible.
• It is much cheaper to find and remove errors as
  early as possible

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Ego-less Environment

• Welcome the detection of mistakes in our own work
  
• Try, conscientiously and constructively, to
  detect mistakes in the work of others
• The objective and satisfaction in systems
  development is moved from being one of trying to
  make your own part of the system best, to trying
  to make the whole system better or the best.

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Structured Walkthroughs

• Walkthroughs can be performed without training or
  formal procedures however, it is often the case
  that it helps to introduce some formalism or
  structure to the review - hence the term
• structured walkthrough.

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Requirements

• Specifically this requires commitment from both
  management and reviewers to ensure
• structured walkthroughs are scheduled in advance
• adequate time is allowed for a review
• the necessary reviewers are available
• the review is effective
• Commitment is therefore required before, during
  and after the structured walkthrough.

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When to have a Walkthrough

• At any time in the lifecycle
• but
• not too early
• Too many minor errors
• not too late
• Cost of changes too high

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Roles in a Walkthrough 1

• Presenter
• Explains what the product does
• Chairperson
• Organises and runs the walkthrough
• Keeps the discussion on track

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Roles in a Walkthrough 2

• Scribe
• Keeps a record of the walkthrough
• Creates an Action List
• Maintenance Oracle
• A reviewer whose main orientation is the long
  term maintenance of the product
• Standards Bearer
• Ensures that the product is consistent with the
  overall standards that have been adopted by the
  project or organisation

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Walkthrough Procedures 1

• Before
• Distribute documentation to reviewers
• Reviewers review the product
• During
• Presenter presents the product
• Reviewers walk through the product
• Chairperson solicits comments from reviewers
• Issues should be presented but not resolved
• Keep the review brief not longer than 1 hour

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Walkthrough Procedures 2

• During
• take a vote on the result of the review
• Product OK
• Some things need fixing
• After
• Carry out action list
• Decide if a further review is needed

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Advantages of Walkthroughs

• Detect errors earlier
• Improve quality of the system
• Helps team members to see the whole application
  not just their part
• Helps to communicate technical expertise
• Easier to assess progress

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Disadvantages of Walkthroughs

• Time consuming 5-10 of total project time
• Need commitment from management, IT staff users,
  etc.
• Needs the ego-less environment