Software Debugging

Software Debugging

While the purpose of software testing is to find bugs, after the testing results, software debugging is done to find the cause of the bug and correct it. There are two main types of debugging: JavaScript debugging and PHP Debugging.The first step to debugging is to describe the bug. It’s important to get as much information as possible about the bug, from the product version to the OS version, including the necessary conditions to reproduce the bug. The next step is to reproduce the bug. Take note of all the changes that occur when the bug appears plus what function the program is undertaking at the moment. The next step is to analyze the snapshots to search the cause of the bug. Lastly, fix the bug by using a debugger tool to track the problem’s origin. This can occur at any stage of the debugging process, just be careful not to introduce another bug.

Some of the debugging tools that can be used include the GNU Project Debugger that allows the programmer to understand what going on within the software when it’s operational while executing the code, the Immunity Debugger that offers a clean way to analyze malware, the OllyDbg that can be used to crack software created by other developers, the IDA Pro that is considered both a disassembler & a debugger, and much more.

Debugging is considered effective if it can detect errors and solve them in a short time and at a low cost. Some of the techniques used to improve debugging efficiency are: simplify complex data, divide and conquer, slow down the process, change one variable at a time, create off-line models, start debugging from a known stage, and finally, repetitive testing. Other than using debuggers to fix bugs, other strategies like backtracking, binary search, problem simplification, and form hypothesis can also be used.