Spend some time working or playing games on computers and you’ll soon hear three words discussed: troubleshooting, testing, and debugging. While the first two are fairly common, their meanings can seem confusing or even synonymous. In practice, each of these actions is different, but related.
The strengths and weaknesses of new products can be tested by beta testers.
Troubleshooting is the bane of the end user and the help desk technician and begins when software or hardware does not work as expected, leading to an unexpected or unsatisfactory result. In many cases, user error is failure.
Troubleshooting begins when software or hardware does not work as expected.
The first step in troubleshooting is getting to the basics. Is the software or hardware installed correctly? Is it configured correctly? Did you read the manual and follow all the instructions? Maybe something changed in your system that precipitated the problem? Have you been using this product all along or is this a fresh install?
If this is a fresh installation, you can almost be sure that the problem is related to the installation process, especially in the case of hardware. The hardware requires a device driver (software file) that acts as a bridge or interface between the hardware and the operating system. If the device driver fails, the hardware will not be able to communicate properly with other system components. The device drivers may be missing or installed in the wrong order for the device.
If the problem lies with hardware that was working perfectly fine until now, the cause may be a corrupt device driver. Reinstalling the driver may resolve the issue. An updated driver may also resolve the issue. Other times, replacing a component on the motherboard by shutting down the computer, removing the component, and reinstalling it resolves the issue.
Hardware troubleshooting on Windows™ operating systems is also available from the Device Manager and Help menus. A yellow exclamation mark next to a component in Device Manager indicates a problem.
Software that starts to misbehave can also become corrupted. Reinstalling can sometimes help, but if a program started working after installing new, unrelated software, there could be a conflict between the two. Firewalls and antivirus programs are known to not work well together, and it’s probably wise to limit yourself to a single program in each of these categories, unless you’re an advanced user.
Troubleshooting typically involves reading manuals or help files, going over the basics to eliminate user error as a potential cause, and using a search engine to investigate how others have solved the problem. If there’s one thing you can always count on as an end user, it’s that someone else has stood in your shoes before. The Internet community is very good at providing help, and in most cases, answers can be found through diligent research.
Testing is the precursor to debugging. Testing is often the forte of programmers and advanced users, and occurs when a product is new or being upgraded and needs to be tested to eliminate potential problems. The tests identify “bugs” or imperfections so that they can be fixed in the debugging process, before they are [next] official product launch. These “unofficial” releases are known as beta versions (for example, 3.0b), and the public volunteers are known as beta testers.
Beta testing is a valuable resource for software developers due to the variety of computer systems involved, combined with the sheer number of hours and scenarios in which the program is used. This eliminates unforeseen problems in a way that cannot be effectively achieved using internal debuggers alone. The beta testing phase gives authors a good idea of preparing a product for the public domain.
Hardware is also beta tested, but since it is financially prohibitive to provide free beta hardware to the public, hardware testing and debugging is commonly done in-house. However, beta products may be released and, in some cases, distributed in limited quantities to industry experts at conferences such as COMDEX.
Beta software is specifically available for testing and is not considered a stable release. Beta testers install beta software at their own risk, and to help software developers identify the source of a problem, they should provide a fair amount of information when reporting a bug. The data required varies, but generally includes the system specifications, beta version and build, the exact conditions under which the error occurred, and the content of the error message.
Debugging is the forte of programmers and developers, and it involves correcting the software code itself to remove errors or bugs. The developers try to replicate bugs reported in beta on internal systems in order to eliminate them.
While there are many types of debugging tools, a simple example is a tool that allows the programmer to monitor program code while manipulating it to execute various commands and routines. A basic approach is to simplify the code as much as possible at the suspected problem spot, while still replicating the problem, narrowing the focus to potential problem lines. In reality, debugging is a complex process that requires different approaches depending on factors such as the complexity and length of the software code itself and the language in which it is written.
Debugging can be a tedious task, although some languages are easier to debug than others. Java, for example, includes routines that handle exception errors. An exception error occurs when the program encounters a situation that must be addressed before the program can continue successfully. In this case, a built-in routine initiates a “search” within the various layers of software code, looking for an answer to the problem. If a solution cannot be found, a fatal exception error is raised and the program exits. The resulting error message may include a memory address or other cryptic data that will not help the user but could be valuable for debugging. Well written programs should not have fatal errors.
Older programming languages like C or assembly are not as transparent and do not handle errors as efficiently. Debugger programs written in these languages can test the debugger’s skills and patience.
Fortunately for the end user, commercially available software has already been debugged for major bugs. Due to this very reason, most of the problems encountered by the end user fall within the scope of troubleshooting and can be fixed by the means mentioned above. On those occasions when an end user encounters a bug, following the troubleshooting steps may reveal a workaround until the developer fixes the bug.
When asking for help on a web forum or newsgroup, be sure to do your homework ahead of time. Troubleshooting is time-consuming, and people who volunteer help appreciate someone who has put in the effort to find answers. Asking about a problem that has been repeatedly asked and answered will not win you friends and is considered bad network etiquette.
The tests identify “bugs” or imperfections so that they can be fixed in the debugging process.
