A coding bug, also known as a software bug, is an error in a computer program that causes it to behave in unintended ways. Bugs can be caused by a variety of factors, such as syntax errors, logical errors, and incorrect assumptions about how the program will be used.

Bugs can be difficult to identify and fix, as they often only reveal themselves when the program is being used in a way that the developer did not anticipate. Debugging is the process of identifying and fixing bugs in a program.

To fix a bug, a developer must first identify the cause of the error and then modify the code to correct it. This process can be time-consuming, as it often involves analyzing the code and testing the program to see how it behaves under different circumstances.

Preventing bugs from occurring in the first place is an important part of the software development process. This can be done through careful planning, writing clear and well-structured code, and using tools such as linters and static analysis tools to catch errors before they become issues.

There have been several instances where coding errors have resulted in significant financial losses or other consequences:

  1. The Knight Capital Group trading loss: In 2012, a software bug caused Knight Capital Group’s automated trading system to buy and sell large quantities of stocks, resulting in a loss of $440 million.
  2. The Mars Climate Orbiter failure: In 1999, a coding error caused the Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft to crash, resulting in a loss of $125 million. The error was caused by a mix-up between metric and imperial units.
  3. The Therac-25 radiation overdoses: In the 1980s, a software bug in the Therac-25 radiation therapy machine caused it to deliver lethal doses of radiation to several patients, resulting in several deaths.
  4. The London Whale trading loss: In 2012, a series of coding errors caused JPMorgan Chase’s chief investment office to make risky trades, resulting in a loss of $6.2 billion.
  5. The Target data breach: In 2013, a coding error in Target’s security system allowed hackers to access the personal data of millions of customers, resulting in significant financial losses and damage to the company’s reputation.

 

These examples demonstrate the importance of thorough testing and quality assurance in software development, as coding errors can have serious consequences.

Debugging is the process of identifying and fixing errors in your code. It’s an important part of the development process, as bugs and errors can prevent your code from running correctly and can cause unexpected behavior.

In this article we are going to show you, Top 10 tips to follow, while debugging your code.

 

The 10 tips to follow when fixing bugs

  1. Use a debugger: Most modern programming environments include a debugger that allows you to step through your code line by line and inspect variables. This can be very useful for understanding what’s going wrong.
  2. Print statements: Inserting print statements in your code can help you understand what’s happening at different stages of your program’s execution.
  3. Use a version control system: A version control system (such as Git) allows you to track changes to your code and revert back to a previous version if necessary. This can be helpful if you introduced a bug while making a change and want to revert to a version that was known to be working.
  4. Write test cases: Writing test cases can help you identify bugs early on and prevent them from becoming larger issues down the line.
  5. Use a linter: A linter is a tool that checks your code for syntax errors and style issues. This can help you catch mistakes that might be difficult to spot otherwise.
  6. Break your code into smaller pieces: Large, monolithic code bases can be difficult to debug. Breaking your code into smaller, more manageable pieces can make it easier to isolate the source of a bug.
  7. Use a profiler: A profiler is a tool that measures the performance of your code and helps you identify bottlenecks and other inefficiencies. This can be useful for identifying performance issues that might be causing problems.
  8. Get a fresh pair of eyes: Sometimes it helps to have someone else look at your code. A fresh pair of eyes can often spot issues that you might have missed.
  9. Use online resources: There are many online resources (such as forums and Q&A sites) that can provide help and guidance when debugging your code.
  10. Don’t get discouraged: Debugging can be frustrating, but it’s a normal and necessary part of the development process. Don’t get discouraged and keep at it!

Conclusion

Bugs in code can make you lose your cool in seconds. Sometimes they are so hard to find, and understand why they are there in the first place, sometimes they are in front of your eyes and are simple that you don’t expect to make them, but end up costing you time and valuable resources.

However, if you ask me, I think that debugging is the best way to get familiar with the code, especially if you are new to the team. I remember when I started learning to code, I would print everything I do. Is it a new data structure, or some custom class or some response from the server. 

From all of those tips, I use printing/logging the most. I know it is so primitive, but as I’ve said, that makes me connect to the code, understand what it does, and how the end result looks.

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