Debugger: A Developer's Trusted Assistant

Inevitable Bugs

From the era of punch cards to machine instructions, assembly language, and now to various high-level programming languages, programming languages have continuously improved in terms of expressiveness and usability. Compilers and static analysis tools have become increasingly sophisticated, and developers' understanding of computer systems has deepened. However, bugs remain unavoidable, becoming an eternal challenge in software development.

Making mistakes is not terrible; the key is being able to promptly detect errors, locate the root cause of problems, and correct them. Additionally, the existence of a bug doesn't necessarily mean it will show obvious "symptoms." Some bugs are reproducible, some occur intermittently, some remain latent for a long time before showing symptoms, and some may never be triggered. Some flaky tests are even more troublesome, as they may not reproduce the problem even with identical inputs. Bugs hide at varying depths, further increasing the difficulty of locating and fixing them.

Efficient Debugging Methodology

To efficiently solve bugs, the primary task is to preserve the scene when a problem occurs. This includes isolating the problematic service instance for developers to investigate and generating process core files for analysis. These measures lay the foundation for subsequent in-depth investigation. Preserving the problem scene promptly is only the first step in efficient problem-solving; we also need effective "tools" to probe deep into the "symptoms" and locate the source of the bug.

Some experienced developers consider finding and locating bug causes through error logs and code review, which has proven to be a practical approach. However, every method has its applicable scope. Some extreme voices suggest that "you don't need a debugger." The reality is that not all bugs can be simply located through logs, as it's impossible to track the state changes before and after each statement's execution through logs.

Identifying and choosing appropriate debugging methods based on specific problems is a more scientific approach.

The Value of Debuggers

A debugger is far more than just a simple error-finding tool. It not only helps locate bugs but is also an excellent tool for exploring and understanding the internal workings of systems. Through a debugger, we gain a "God's perspective," allowing us to observe the running details of any system and deeply understand the execution process of various algorithms. For developers who aspire to know not just what but why, a debugger is like opening a door to a treasure trove of knowledge.