Debugging Software

Category Debugging:

Novice programmers could use a good pattern cookbook for debugging software applications. Is this too general to warrant a Pattern Language? Debugging environments are very operating system and language dependent, but perhaps there are some general forces that can be dealt with.

Perhaps some of the pattern titles would look like:

Locate Debugging Facilities

Insert Break Points

Locate Failed Procedure

Use Scaffolding Techniques

Isolate And Test

Decompose To Simple Statements

Use Assertions

Rewrite When Unclear

Ah, maybe the problem domain is too large.

-- Todd Coram

See Debugging Pattern Language.

See original on c2.com