Table of contents
🐛Introduction
Bugs are errors in the code that prevent getting the desired result. The compiler doesn't allow running the program until the bug is fixed and flashes errors in the command prompt. Sometimes these bugs are syntactical, other times these are logical. These errors could be simple or complex depending on the way they are spotted, these can be in the logic of the program or simply as the missing semi-colon at the end of each statement in C++ or indentation error in Python.
🐛Debugging Methods
Many different debugging methods can be used, depending on the nature of the problem and the development environment. Here are some common ones:
Printing: This is a very straightforward and widely used method, where you insert print statements in your code to see the values of variables, or to see which part of the code is being executed.
Debugging with an IDE: Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as Visual Studio Code, PyCharm, or Eclipse have built-in debugging tools that allow you to step through your code, inspect variables, and set breakpoints.
Binary search: If you have a large codebase and you know that the bug is somewhere in it, you can use the binary search method to divide the code into halves and eliminate one half of it each time until you find the bug.
Dry Run: To check the correctness of the logic, you have to dry run the code on a piece of paper to check if you're getting the desired result. Dry running means running the code from the perspective of a compiler.
Reversing changes: If you've recently made changes to the code, you can try undoing those changes to see if the bug goes away.
Logging: This is a method where you add log statements to your code to track its execution. This can be useful for tracking the progress of an application, and for troubleshooting errors.
Unit testing: Writing unit tests for your code can help you catch bugs early on and ensure that your code works as expected.
Debugging with replicas: Creating a replica of the problem environment can be a useful method of debugging, as it allows you to isolate the problem and test various solutions without affecting the original environment.
Fuzz testing: Fuzz testing involves feeding a program with large amounts of random data and observing its behavior to see if it crashes or produces unexpected results.
Collaboration: Collaborating with other developers or stakeholders can be a powerful debugging tool. There are different websites, forums, and discussion groups on social media dedicated to discussions related to the technical field. By sharing knowledge and discussing possible solutions, you can gain new perspectives and ideas that can help you solve the problem.
🐛Conclusion
Debugging can be a challenging thing when you are stuck on the problem for a long time. Sometimes the best way is to take a break from the current problem or switch on to other tasks and come back to it with a newer perspective. This has helped me in the past. So I can vouch for it.