desk check

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

<programming> To grovel over hardcopy of source code, mentally simulating the control flow; a method of catching bugs. No longer common practice in this age of on-screen editing, fast compiles, and sophisticated debuggers - though some maintain stoutly that it ought to be.

Compare dry run, eyeball search, vdiff, vgrep. [Jargon File]

(1996-05-13)