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Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #13655

Re: Wages not calculating correctly

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Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:53:39 -0700 (PDT), Simfonika Island
> <simfonika@gmail.com> wrote, quoted or indirectly quoted someone who
> said :
> 
>>My program is not calculating the wages correctly. Can somebody please
>>tell me why???
> 
> See http://mindprod.com/jgloss/ide.html
> 
> If you single step trace you program, the problem should quickly
> reveal itself.

That's a terrible piece of advice to give to a beginning
programmer. Interactive debuggers are useful tools, but you will waste
a lot of time with them if they're the first thing you reach for when
you find a bug. 

_Think_ about the bug. What type of bug is it? What's the failure
modes? Is it consistent? Does it occur for all inputs, or just some?
Is it timing based? Does it involve databases, network access or third
party libraries? Read the logs (if you have them, and if not, put some
in). Read the code. Locate the bug: Where in the code does the bug
become visible?  Where does it manifest?  Where could it have been
introduced?  Divide and conquer -- which parts of the code have
nothing to do with the bug, and which parts remain? Did it use to work
before? (Are you certain?) What has changed since then? Is the program
environment still the same? The build process? The dependencies?

Still don't know what causes the bug? Fine, _then_ you can fire up the
debugger. By now you should at least have a good idea of where the bug
_isn't_, so you can concentrate on the parts that remain.

-- 
Leif Roar Moldskred

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Thread

Wages not calculating correctly Simfonika Island <simfonika@gmail.com> - 2012-04-18 13:53 -0700
  Re: Wages not calculating correctly Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-04-18 15:04 -0700
  Re: Wages not calculating correctly Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2012-04-18 22:17 -0700
    Re: Wages not calculating correctly Leif Roar Moldskred <leifm@dimnakorr.com> - 2012-04-19 00:58 -0500
      Re: Wages not calculating correctly Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2012-04-19 01:43 -0700
        Re: Wages not calculating correctly Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-04-19 08:35 -0700
  Re: Wages not calculating correctly Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2012-04-18 23:35 -0700

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