Basic Explanation: What are Software Bugs & How to Deal with Them?

What are Software Bugs?

A bug in computer technology is a programming mistake in a computer program. (We consider a program to also include the microcode that is manufactured into a microprocessor.) Debugging is the process of identifying issues before users do. Debugging begins as soon as the code is produced & continues throughout the creation of a software product, such as an operating system or an application, as the code is coupled with other programming units. Bugs are frequently found after a product is made available for purchase or during open beta testing. Users must either figure out a means to avoid using the flawed code in this situation or request a patch from the software developers.

We deal with software bugs daily as software engineers. Right, we can recognize one when we see it. But what exactly is a software bug? What can we learn by examining all the various components that comprise a software bug's anatomy, if you will? There is a lot of benefit in investigating, characterizing, and labeling the many components of a bug since we spend so much time preventing, identifying, and fixing bugs. This procedure enables developers to approach debugging with more precise language and reasoning. Thus, we might be able to make debugging take less time and effort. Finally, it might aid software firms like ours in planning our processes and procedures. 

Some flaws might not have a significant impact on the program's functionality and might be unnoticed for a long period. When major bugs go unfixed, a program may crash. Unauthorized rights could be obtained by a hostile user bypassing access controls, which falls under the area of security bugs.

How to Deal with Software Bugs?

Apart from the question of what are software bugs, we need to know how we fix the bug once we've located the flaw. And how can we stop this from happening again? Code errors frequently exist without having any obvious effects on the user. A section of code that is only executed under exceptional conditions may contain a flaw. (or not executed at all – dead code). A combination of various input values or settings could serve as an illustration. The set of all the requirements for the defect and the cause-and-effect chain to result in the symptom is known as the trigger.

Sometimes during the bug analysis process, a technique or several techniques are found that can stop the symptom from happening but don't fix the bug. Restarting or restarting a program before the resource leak terminates is the standard illustration of this. Another illustration is making users adhere to a predetermined, confined set of steps to avoid creating the trigger circumstances. In the near term, workarounds may be highly beneficial, but they should never be confused with solutions. Once the flaw has been located, one or more fixes might be suggested. A single line of code may be changed, or the entire program could be refactored.

These procedures can be used to check whether the software bug has been fixed properly. These can also be used as guidance for developing a regression test that will rapidly identify this flaw or a flaw that is similar if it is introduced again at a later time. This entails investigating the events that took place or the systems that were in place when the flaw was introduced. What aspect of the software development process—including design, communication, documentation, and documentation—allowed the defect to be created in the first place?

As developers, we discuss bugs a lot because, let's face it, creating software is challenging. Sometimes we don't do things perfectly the first time. However, when we discuss software issues, we frequently do it in a way that downplays or diverts attention from the challenging and crucial task of identifying, accurately describing, analyzing, resolving, and testing bugs.

We may begin considering how we as software organizations can work more effectively to address defects if we can all agree that the elements and artifacts, I have listed above are significant and relevant to the majority of bugs. I've emphasized, for illustration purposes, the distinctions between a sighting, a symptom, a reproducer, and a description. These are frequently confused.

WeTest offers the industry's leading Live Testing which can debug your app instantly, view device logs, inspect UI elements, and use stack trace to find and fix bugs easily. Also, WeTest provides a test on thousands of Android and iOS real devices including iPhone, Huawei, Xiaomi, Samsung Galaxy, and Pixel with different screen sizes, and OS versions. Clients will also get to easily access Android cloud devices directly from the ADB shell which helps you ship quality apps even faster.

Wrapping Up: 

The topic of what are software bugs is quite common to be asked and this is why we have discussed it in detail. An unforeseen issue with software or hardware is referred to as a bug. Common issues are frequently the result of unanticipated external interference with the program's functionality. Small issues like frozen screens or mysterious error messages that have little to no impact on usage can be brought on by minor defects. Major defects may have negative consequences on linked devices, integrated applications, and data files in addition to affecting software and hardware.