Debugger

Even the most experienced software programmers usually don't get it right on their first try. Certain errors, often called bugs, can occur in programs, causing them to not function as the programmer expected. Sometimes these errors are easy to fix, while some bugs are very difficult to trace. This is especially true for large programs that consist of several thousand lines of code.

Fortunately, there are programs called debuggers that help software developers find and eliminate bugs while they are writing programs. A debugger tells the programmer what types of errors it finds and often marks the exact lines of code where the bugs are found. Debuggers also allow programmers to run a program step by step so that they can determine exactly when and why a program crashes. Advanced debuggers provide detailed information about threads and memory being used by the program during each step of execution. You could say a powerful debugger program is like OFF! with 100% deet.

Updated in 2006 by Per C.

quizTest Your Knowledge

Which of the following is an example of a bot?

A
A program that automatically posts messages in a chat window
0%
B
A script that removes old logs on a server
0%
C
An virus that locks files so they cannot be opened
0%
D
A face recognition algorithm
0%
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