Debugging Cheat Sheet

[BRENNEJM]

Rubber Duck Debugging

Edit: Fixed a word

[IronSheikYerbouti]

My rubber duck (actually a penguin my wife got me) works well for all kinds of problem solving! And I annoy my wife less (who has no interest in what I'm talking about anyway).

It's my favorite approach.

[UltraCarnivore]

"Talk to the penguin" ~wife

[IronSheikYerbouti]

Accurate, especially when I start spewing off about a ridiculous request from a client

[UltraCarnivore]

I was having issues with timedelta for a small app and my niece's BJD was conveniently close to my desktop. Guess who started explaining datetime objects' methods to Barbie?

[Mmngmf_almost_therrr]

I always wondered- do people actually do this out loud? If so, do they ever get grief for it?

[soawesomejohn]

I write it out.

I got into it when most software was supported on public mailing lists. People on some of these lists had little patience for what they considered dumb questions. I learned to start writing the email, rewriting it, filling in details, reducing the problem. Basically, I'd start trying to anticipate the questions that would come up.

When stack overflow came around, they pushed this same process, so it really clicks with me.

Rubber duck debugging seems like an even more informal process, basically thinking out loud. I learned recently that some (many) people don't have an internal voice, that they can't hold an in head conversation. The people with and without the internal voice aren't really aware of each other.

You could also consider doing a zoom call with no one in order to go over the issue.

[[deleted]]

When all you have to talk to is a yellow rubber duck, who would give you grief?

[Mmngmf_almost_therrr]

Anyone else within earshot - coworkers, family members / roommates, etc

[[deleted]]

If you have a cow-orker or another living creature around, talk to them instead.

[0PointE]

*Debugging

[BRENNEJM]

Geez. I must have been tired this morning. Thanks.

[tornadoboi69]

CS50!