Manual Narration
Manual narration is a software development practice where developers verbally explain their code, logic, or system design to others, often in real-time, to facilitate understanding, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. It involves walking through code step-by-step, describing intentions, and discussing potential issues or improvements. This method is commonly used in pair programming, code reviews, onboarding sessions, and debugging scenarios to enhance team communication and code quality.
Developers should use manual narration to improve code clarity, catch bugs early, and foster team learning, especially in collaborative environments like agile teams or when mentoring junior developers. It is particularly valuable during complex refactoring, when integrating new features, or in distributed teams to ensure alignment and reduce misunderstandings. This practice helps build shared mental models and promotes best practices through direct, interactive feedback.