code inspector Interview Questions and Answers

1. What is code inspection?

   • Answer: Code inspection is a systematic examination of source code intended to find defects, improve quality, and ensure adherence to coding standards. It involves a team reviewing the code, often using checklists and predefined criteria, rather than simply running tests.

2. What are the benefits of code inspection?

   • Answer: Benefits include early defect detection, improved code quality, knowledge sharing among team members, improved code maintainability, reduced debugging time later in the development cycle, and enforcement of coding standards.

3. What are some common types of code defects found during inspection?

   • Answer: Common defects include logic errors, off-by-one errors, buffer overflows, memory leaks, race conditions, concurrency issues, security vulnerabilities (SQL injection, cross-site scripting), incorrect handling of exceptions, and violations of coding style guidelines.

4. Describe the process of a typical code inspection meeting.

   • Answer: A typical meeting involves a moderator, author(s) of the code, and reviewers. The author presents the code, and the team systematically reviews it, focusing on specific aspects (e.g., functionality, security, style). The moderator keeps track of identified issues, and the meeting concludes with a summary of findings and action items.

5. What is the difference between code inspection and code review?

   • Answer: While both aim to improve code quality, code inspection is a more formal process with a structured meeting, checklists, and defined roles. Code review can be less formal, involving informal feedback or simply a peer looking over the code. Inspection is generally more thorough.

6. What are some common checklists used in code inspection?

   • Answer: Checklists often cover aspects like data flow, control flow, exception handling, security considerations, adherence to coding standards, and potential error conditions. They can be customized based on the project and programming language.

7. How do you handle disagreements during a code inspection?

   • Answer: Disagreements should be resolved through discussion and evidence-based arguments. The moderator plays a key role in facilitating productive discussion and ensuring all viewpoints are considered. Sometimes, further investigation or consultation with experts might be necessary.

8. What metrics can be used to measure the effectiveness of code inspection?

   • Answer: Metrics include the number of defects found, the defect density (defects per line of code), the cost of fixing defects found during inspection versus later in the lifecycle, and the time spent on inspection versus debugging.

9. How do you ensure that code inspections are efficient and effective?

   • Answer: Efficiency and effectiveness are improved through using well-defined checklists, limiting the amount of code reviewed in a single session, selecting appropriate reviewers with expertise in the relevant areas, clearly defining roles and responsibilities, and using appropriate tools to support the inspection process.

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