A deskcheck is a simple review in which the author of a work product
distributes it to one or more reviewers. In a deskcheck, the author
sends a copy of the work product to selected project team members. The
team members read it, and then write up defects and comments to send
back to the author.
Unlike an inspection, a deskcheck does not produce written logs which
can be archived with the document for later reference. There is no
follow-up meeting or approval process. It is simply a way for one team
member to check another’s work. Deskchecks are not formal reviews
(where “formal” simply means that it generates a written work product
which meets a certain standard and is archived with the rest of the
project documentation); there is no standard for the results of the
deskcheck. The reviewers simply review the work product and return the
results. There is no moderator, and there is not necessarily any
consensus generated.
Deskchecks
There are times when a full inspection is neither necessary nor useful.
Some work products do not benefit enough to warrant the attention of an
entire inspection team because they do not need consensus or approval.
In these cases, the author simply needs input from others to prevent
defects, but does not require that they approve the document. In these
cases, the deskcheck is a useful review practice.
The illustration below contains an example of comments from a deskcheck which was
used by a tester to find defects in an automation script. In this case,
the entire review was performed via e-mail: the author mailed the
script to the reviewer, and the reviewer read it and e-mailed the
comments back to the author. These comments are much simpler than the
inspection log in Figure 5-1. In an inspection, each log entry must
either resolve a defect or indicate that it is an open issue which must
be resolved. Deskcheck comments can simply point out issues or raise
questions without having to supply solutions or promise a resolution.
There was no follow-up or approval, and the reviewer had no more
contact with this script.
Sample Deskcheck Comments
%2072dpi.png "Sample Deskcheck Comments")
Deskchecks can be used as predecessors to inspections. In many cases,
having an author of a work product pass his work to a peer for an
informal review will significantly reduce the amount of effort involved
in the inspection. Many defects can be caught by a single person
reviewing a document. Approval and consensus is built later on during
the inspection meeting; this is simply a way of saving effort. After a
deskcheck, many authors will feel much more comfortable sending their
document into an inspection—it will often help the author to be more
objective and to take the inspection comments less personally.
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