Code inspection, also known as code review, is the process of reviewing source code to identify potential errors, bugs, security vulnerabilities, or other issues. Here are the steps involved in a typical code inspection:
1. Planning: The first step is to plan the code inspection. This involves identifying the objectives of the inspection, selecting the reviewers, and scheduling a time for the inspection.
2. Preparation: The next step is to prepare for the inspection. This involves sending the source code to the reviewers ahead of time, along with any documentation or specifications that may be needed.
3. Review: During the review, the reviewers examine the code line by line, looking for errors, bugs, security vulnerabilities, or other issues. They may use tools such as debuggers, syntax checkers, and code analysis software to help them identify problems.
4. Discussion: After the review is complete, the reviewers discuss their findings with the developer or development team. They may ask questions, seek clarification, or suggest ways to improve the code.
5. Correction: Once the issues have been identified and discussed, the developer makes the necessary corrections to the code. This may involve fixing bugs, optimizing performance, or improving security.
6. Verification: After the corrections have been made, the code is re-inspected to ensure that all issues have been resolved.
7. Documentation: Finally, the results of the inspection are documented for future reference. This may include a summary of the issues found and corrected, as well as any recommendations for improving the development process.
Overall, code inspection is a critical component of software development that helps to ensure that code is high-quality, secure, and free from errors and bugs.