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debugging: Definition and Recommended Links

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Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge in another.

There is some controversy over the origin of the term 'debugging.' The terms 'bug' and 'debugging' are both popularly attributed to Admiral Grace Hopper in the 1940s,[1] but the term 'bug' dates back at least to 1878 and Thomas Edison (see the Software bug article for a full discussion), and 'debugging' seems to have been used as a term in aeronautics before entering the world of computers.

Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debugging)

other great electronics sites:ee toolbox site

• • debugging
    • Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge in another.

      There is some controversy over the origin of the term 'debugging.' The terms 'bug' and 'debugging' are both popularly attributed to Admiral Grace Hopper in the 1940s,[1] but the term 'bug' dates back at least to 1878 and Thomas Edison (see the Software bug article for a full discussion), and 'debugging' seems to have been used as a term in aeronautics before entering the world of computers.

      Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debugging)

      (Note: The Electronic Engineers Toolbox provides an alternative set of featured links for this word at http://www.cera2.com/debugging.htm)

      Featured Links:

      Enea Adds Advanced System Analysis and Profiling Capabilities to Eclipse-Based Enea Optima

      Enea has announced major system-level debug and profiling enhancements for its Eclipse-based Enea® Optima Tool Suite. New for version 1.5, Optima's Event Viewer and System Profiler tools provide high-level visibility that greatly simplifies the development and debugging of complex, distributed, multi-core applications. 'Optima's advanced system-level debug and profiling capabilities provide a higher level of abstraction, giving developers...
      http://www.enea.com

      KDbg - A Graphical Debugger Interface

      KDbg is a graphical user interface to gdb, the GNU debugger. It provides an intuitive interface for setting breakpoints, inspecting variables, and stepping through code.
      http://www.kdbg.org/

      eBinder Integrated Development Environment

      The eBinder integrated development environment is an embedded system development package that provides a comprehensive range of integrated development tools and software components for debugging multi-threaded applications. The eBinder IDE includes a built-in multicontext debugger for eSOL's real time kernels (PrKERNELv4 / eT-Kernel) and is seamlessly integrated with the kernel and middleware (TCP/IP, file system and USB stack) products from eSOL as an out-of-the-box solution.
      http://www.esol.co.jp/english/embedded/ebinder.html

      In-Field Debugging: Diagnosing Software Problems While Maintaining System Availability

      A modern embedded system may employ hundreds of software tasks, all of them sharing system resources and interacting in complex ways. This complexity can undermine reliability for the simple reason that the more code a system contains, the greater the probability that coding errors will make their way into the field. (By some estimates, a million lines of code will ship with at least 1000 bugs, even if the code is methodically developed and...
      http://www.techonline.com/learning/livewebinar/207100063

      Embedded Debugging Methods Revealed: Technical Mysteries for Engineers

      This new book manages the unthinkable- it conveys crucial technical information to engineers without boring them to tears! In this unique reference, expert embedded designer Lisa Simone provides the solutions to typical embedded software debugging problems from a fresh new perspective. She introduces a team of engineers who readers will recognize from their own workplaces, and then confronts them with real-world debugging scenarios of...
      http://www.amazon.com

      The Art of Debugging With Gdb/Ddd: For Professionals and Students

      Debugging is the art of finding mistakes in code. Using a debugger, programmers can trace program execution line by line, inspect variables, and see what the program is doing at any given time. The Art of Debugging with GDB and DDD will help programmers master the art of debugging with two popular Open Source debuggers: GDB and DDD. It also discusses other tools that help prevent, catch, and fix bugs in programs. The book integrates general...
      http://www.amazon.com

      Debugging Embedded Systems

      Debugging software and embedded systems is now an art and less of a science. Debugging Embedded Systems outlines a step by step methodology and process for testing and debugging hardware and software in embedded systems. This step by step hands on guide takes the reader through the tools have been developed for hardware support of debugging embedded software and new standards, such as Nexus 5001 (led by Motorola), IEEE-ISTO 5001. This book...
      http://www.amazon.com

      How Debuggers Work : Algorithms, Data Structures, and Architecture

      Virtually all programmers and software developers are utilizing debuggers, but few know how to interpret the results they obtain from them. Using a hands-on, problem-solving approach, this unique reference explains how debuggers work, why programmers use them, and then discusses the algorithms involved in the debugging process.
      http://www.amazon.com

      GDB: The GNU Project Debugger

      GDB, the GNU Project debugger, allows you to see what is going on `inside' another program while it executes -- or what another program was doing at the moment it crashed. GDB can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
      http://sources.redhat.com/gdb/

      The Art of Debugging with GDB, DDD

      Debugging is of central importance to successful software development, and yet many beginning programmers are unaware of the techniques they can use to reduce the time they spend finding and fixing programming errors. GDB, a popular open source debugger, allows a programmer to trace program execution line by line, set breakpoints, inspect variables, and look at what the program is doing at any given time. Using an assortment of real world...
      http://www.amazon.com

      Explanation: these links are provided as part of our EE glossary project, which seeks to identify the most prominent keywords in embedded systems, embedded software, realtime and rtos, dsp (digital signal processing), system-on-a-chip, microprocessors and microcontrollers, and other constituent elements for embedded systems. While we seek to keep most of the links up-to-date, the user is refered to other primary electronic-based search sites such as: cera2.com, embedded.com, or EDN Magazine. If you have any suggestions of links or definitions, please email!

Mark Twain quote for the day:

I was educated, I was trained, I was a Presbyterian and I knew how these things are done. I knew that in Biblical times if a man committed a sin the extermination of the whole surrounding nation -- cattle and all --was likely to happen. I knew that Providence was not particular about the rest, so that He got somebody connected with the one He was after.
- Autobiography of Mark Twain