Debugging in software applications and programming simply means removing bugs from a program. It is a multistep process that involves identifying, analyzing, and either fixing it or finding ways to work with them. At last, the program is tested and checked if it is working or not after fixing the bug. This process is a must for the proper functioning of a program or software.
Working of Debugging
The debugging process starts as soon as we start writing the code. As the program is built, simultaneously best possible care should be given to code, so that an error does not occur. Strategies like pair programming and unit testing can be used to test bugs.
To identify bugs first try and understand the whole program and review the code. Programs should be tested with strong test cases because programs might run properly with weak test cases. Debugger component of an IDE helps a programmer to identify the bugs in a program.
Importance of Debugging
Debugging helps in identifying what is going wrong with a program or software. If a program is not properly debugged, the software can crash, data can be lost and can be frustrating for both the programmer and it’s users. Also, programs can take more time than required to compile and run thus decreasing the overall performance of the software.
Debugging Techniques
- Testing the program at every stage. This means as soon as a new function is added, try and run the program and see if it’s working properly.
- Debuggers can be used to automatically detect and fix errors.
- One option is to start from the point where the problem occurred and go back through the code to see how that might have happened. This is called Backtracking.
- Binary Search: First check the middle of the program for bugs, then search in other halves.
- Another approach can be to eliminate irrelevant pieces of code from the bug. This makes the code simpler and can be analyzed further.
Debugging Tools
Debugging Tools are computer programs that are used to test and debug other programs. These tools are often considered a must for serious software developers and programmers because they take care of the errors and reduce the programmer’s work.
Some of the most used Debugging Tools are:
- Radare2
- Valgrind
- WinDbg
- IDA pro
- Immunity Debugger
- GDB
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