How to perform Software Testing and Debugging

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a fine day. In today’s tutorial, I am going to discuss “Software Testing and Debugging”

During testing and debugging, seek advice for the various techniques of detecting and eliminating mistakes in a program, so that it produces the desired result. Every programmer needs to be aware of the truth that a program does not always run perfectly for the first time. It is consequently vital to make efforts in case you do stumble on the errors. First, determine and note any errors which are found during the very first building and running of the program.

Errors that Occur during Initialization of the Program

Many errors can occur when running a program, some apparent, and others are not. All these mistakes can be grouped under four types, namely: syntax errors, run-time errors, logical mistakes, and latent mistakes.

Syntax problems are any violation of regulations specified within a  programming language results in syntax mistakes. The compiler during the build and run process of the code will automatically define such errors. When syntax errors are found in the source code of the program, the compilation fails and terminates after listing the errors and the line numbers within the source code of the application where the errors have occurred. 

Remember, in a few cases, the line quantity won't precisely suggest the vicinity of the mistake. In different instances, syntax error can also result in an extended listing of mistakes. Correction of one of the mistakes at the beginning of the build of the system may also take away the entire listing.

Run-time mistakes  include mismatch of data types or referencing out-of-variety array details, go undetected by the compiler. An application with those mistakes will run. However, it produces misguided consequences. It should be noted that isolating run-time blunders is usually a hard challenge.

Logical errors: As the name suggests, these mistakes are related to the common sense of program execution. Such moves as taking a wrong direction, failure to forget a particular situation, and incorrect order of assessment of statements belong to this category. Logical mistakes do now not show up as collect-generated mistakes messages. Rather, the program outputs the wrong results during execution. These errors are due to adverse information and incorrect translation of the set of rules by the program.

Latent errors are a 'hidden' error that pops up when a particular set of information is used — for instance, subsequent declaration.

Various Ways of  Testing a Program

Testing is the process of reviewing and executing a program to detect mistakes, which can belong to any of the four types mentioned above. We know that while the compiler can locate syntactic and semantic errors, it can't come across run-time and logical mistakes that show up all through the execution of the program. Testing, therefore, should include vital steps to detect all viable mistakes in the software. It is important to remember that it is miles impractical to find all the mistakes. The testing procedure can also encompass the subsequent two degrees:

  • Human testing
  • Computer-based trying out

Human checking out is a powerful error-detection procedure and finishes earlier than the computer-based tryout. Human testing methods encompass code inspection by the programmer, code inspection with the aid of a test institution, and a review by an essay writing service or a peer organization. The test is achieved through a statement and is analyzed with a tick list of common programming mistakes. In addition to finding the errors, the programming style and preference of algorithms are also reviewed.

Computer-based testing entails a list of degrees, particularly the compiler tryout and run-time check out. Compiler testing is the most effective of the two and also detects undiscovered syntax errors. The software executes while the compiler detects greater mistakes. 

Should this mean that this system is correct? Will it produce the expected consequences? The answer is no. The software might comprise both run-time and logical errors, which in any case won't affect the compiling process of the program.

Program Debugging And Error Checking 

Debugging is the process of discovering and correcting the mistakes in a program’s source code. One simple technique of debugging is locating print statements or logs output by the compiler during the build process of the system that shows the values of variables. It displays the dynamics of a program and allows us to observe and compare statistics at various points. Once the area of a blunder is recognized and is error corrected, the debugging statements may be eliminated. We can use the conditional compilation statements, to switch on or off the debugging statements.

Another method is to use the technique of deduction. The area of a blunder is arrived at by the use of elimination and refinement. It is done through the listing of possible reasons for the mistake.

In Conclusion

Two critical resources of a computer gadget are execution time and memory. The performance of an application is measured in phrases of those two sources. Efficiency can be progressed with true design and coding practices.

Thank you so much for reading this article. If you have any question regarding this article, you can comment below and ask us. We are looking forward for your feedback.

Syed Zain Nasir

I am Syed Zain Nasir, the founder of <a href=https://www.TheEngineeringProjects.com/>The Engineering Projects</a> (TEP). I am a programmer since 2009 before that I just search things, make small projects and now I am sharing my knowledge through this platform.I also work as a freelancer and did many projects related to programming and electrical circuitry. <a href=https://plus.google.com/+SyedZainNasir/>My Google Profile+</a>

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Syed Zain Nasir