Introduction
Software reviews are advantageous when the bias of the developer is challenged constructively. A software engineer developing anything from an architectural diagram, a unit of code, or a test-case, is biased. An effective review of any software artifact is usually performed by a person different from the person that developed the artifact. Since test-cases are designed to exercise the code, the code reviewer is a good candidate for a test-case reviewer too. After reviewing the code, she/he has an insight into the code which makes her/him an appropriate white-box tester.
In this article, I will share a recent experience where a newly formed Scrum team has evolved and learned through its successes and mistakes. The role of test-case reviews has been twofold. First, they brought technical expertise to the developers (gained insight on how to test) and the testers (learned programming skills). Second and most important, test-case reviews acted as a laboratory for strengthening the bonds between the team members. The scrum team transformed into a cohesive team of members that shared and cared. All of them have gone well beyond their comfort zone for the benefit of the team.